NC Electricians?

[jeepmkcomin Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jeepmkcomin]

Hobart Handler 210 lists an input draw of 24A at it's rated load. I am planning on utilizing my dryer outlet and building an extension cord to convert the plugs and plug in my welder. The dryer circuit has a 30amp breaker on it. I have heard that an extension cord adds to the amps pulled from a breaker the longer it is. Do any electricians in general know how long of an extension cord I can make before the breaker will trip itself?

Do any NC electricians know if there is any code or anything against me swapping out that 30 amp dryer breaker for a 40amp... and is it safe to do so? What about me adding a new breaker entirely and putting a new plug in my garage?

This is in my house if that makes a difference. Not a commercial shop.

[MAC702 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MAC702]

The extension cord will not raise the amperage significantly, and what little it does is from a lower voltage reaching the machine's transformer and it compensates naturally. Don't even give it a second thought. There will be no need to change out the circuit breaker. Just plug in your extension cord and start welding. You can use #12 wire on the cord, but you may need to double it over inside the plug's terminals to get a good crimp.

[Sberry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sberry]

I prefer a 10 wire for these but the 30A is fine, no need to change it out for this machine, its a no-no if its still going to be used for the dryer.

[dynasim Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dynasim]

My HH 187 manual has the allowable extension cord size and length explicitly listed. The minimum requirement is far smaller than some would say. For the 187 it is 14 guage for something like 67 ft(I don't have the manual in front of me).

My suggestion is to look in your manual. The requirements are somewhat different than what you would think.

Chris

P.S. The attachment is out of the 210 manual.

[CornHusker Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CornHusker]

Replacing breakers

Just a note of caution... you do NOT want to start replacing breakers in your box with larger rated ones. The wiring from the existing breakers is correct for that size breaker. Installing larger breakers will require the replacement of the wiring from the breaker to the plugs. NOT an easy job.

You could find, if you had something like an electrical fire, your insurance company would NOT pay because your wiring does not make code. You might get by just fine, but it's not a chance I'd take.

[Graham Brown Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Graham Brown]

I thikk adding a new breaker and running a wire to the garage is a better deal