Hi Just been given an arc welder in good working condition I tried it out at home in my shed plugged into an extension lead from the house but it keeps tripping the electric. What has gone wrong?
CJ Suffolk
Hi Just been given an arc welder in good working condition I tried it out at home in my shed plugged into an extension lead from the house but it keeps tripping the electric. What has gone wrong?
CJ Suffolk
Nothing. Its drawing too much current for the trip, not helped by the inevitable drop over what is a no doubt fairly skimpy extension lead. ttfn Roland
Not enough electric?
Cheers Tim
Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service
Colin, is it the main trip (probably RCD) or the trip for the individual circuit (mcb)? What sort of welder is it?
These operate differently and if it's an RCD, you should check your earth continuity on both the extension lead and the welder (check that the welder earth wire is connected to the welder case). Also confirm that the live neutral and earth are connected to the correct terminals on the plug and socket of the extension lead and also on the welder. .
If it's the MCB, then it's most likely that you're asking for too much current. HTH
Be careful, you'll be a long time dead anyway, don't hasten it.
Regards, Arthur G
(mcb)? What sort of welder is it?
continuity on both the extension lead and the
Also confirm that the live neutral and earth
lead and also on the welder. .
Funny things, RCD trips.
When we were testing the big R-R charger, our supply RCD (which was on a dedicated 125A wall socket supply for the charger) would trip regularly if the output isolator on the charger was turned on and connected to the big water tank and test load, even though the output contactor was open at the time.
The outputs are all isolated from the mains earth, so never got to the bottom of that one.
Peter
Hi Colin probabley nothing it may just need moor amps than 13 in your socket most welders that are sed to run on 13amps will only do so with small rods and /or for a short time if you have a socket next to your coker switch thease are sometimes 16 amp so you can try this nick
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An RCD trips if it detects an inbalance between the current going into the wiring beyound it and that coming back. This catches people out with neutral earth leaks on otherwise "switched off" circuits.
It doesn't matter where the difference current is going, it's not going where it should be ie back up the supply.
As for the OPs question we need to know what is tripping an RCD (unit with a test button on it) or an MCB. I'm assuming that using the word "tripping" excludes fuses (rewireable or cartridge).
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