Look it works ?
- Thread starter bike4life
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CrazyDan
Well-Known Member
That's a much cheaper option than getting a 240 hookup, only issue is you don't get the benefit of a real 240 circuit: its much more efficient than dropping to 120.
Just remember to plug into the 2 highest amp breakers in the box that's not shared by the washing machine, dryer, microwave or fridge.
Just remember to plug into the 2 highest amp breakers in the box that's not shared by the washing machine, dryer, microwave or fridge.
Spare_Parts
Well-Known Member
Explain what is going on here please.
gary55
Well-Known Member
2x120 outlets ran to 1 J box.
Spare_Parts
Well-Known Member
How is it wired? I see 2 plugs.
gary55
Well-Known Member
Cord to the right and cord to the spool are each pluged into separate 120 outlets then ran to the outlet in the J box and combined to 1 outlet. 240 single phase.
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FNTPuck
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Terrible idea.
Best case scenario you are on two totally different circuits, everything is in good shape, but you have no way to get the phases in rhythm for a true clean 240v signal and may damage your welder since you have a 50/50 shot of being on opposite phases. Also, you will be pushing a lot of amps through extension cords that likely won't be able to handle it. I have melted the ends of 25ft "15A" heavy duty cords with 10A 24/7 on a server farm and had to replace them with shorter 10' ones. Longer the cord, the less amps it can actually handle. This is an emergency only "hack" that would only ever be suggested for feeding a light load in a pinch - not a big heavy draw welder.
Worse case scenario, your two 120v lines are sharing a main circuit and you just energized the whole 120v circuit with constant power so the other 120v outlets will have 240v on them and instantly fry anything else plugged into that circuit, which could be many different outlets worth of stuff. Bonus points for fires, melted wiring inside your walls, etc.
Either way, BOTH situations are illegal and a serious code violation (for good reason). Install a proper 240v circuit and be done with it.
Best case scenario you are on two totally different circuits, everything is in good shape, but you have no way to get the phases in rhythm for a true clean 240v signal and may damage your welder since you have a 50/50 shot of being on opposite phases. Also, you will be pushing a lot of amps through extension cords that likely won't be able to handle it. I have melted the ends of 25ft "15A" heavy duty cords with 10A 24/7 on a server farm and had to replace them with shorter 10' ones. Longer the cord, the less amps it can actually handle. This is an emergency only "hack" that would only ever be suggested for feeding a light load in a pinch - not a big heavy draw welder.
Worse case scenario, your two 120v lines are sharing a main circuit and you just energized the whole 120v circuit with constant power so the other 120v outlets will have 240v on them and instantly fry anything else plugged into that circuit, which could be many different outlets worth of stuff. Bonus points for fires, melted wiring inside your walls, etc.
Either way, BOTH situations are illegal and a serious code violation (for good reason). Install a proper 240v circuit and be done with it.
bike4life
Well-Known Member
Ok
The box is wired with 12awg and the extension cord is 12awg. It won’t melt, seems decently thick. 12awg can handle 20amps EASY, and even 30. I am only drawing 15.
A 240 breaker is 2 spaces so it attaches to 2 different tabs that are staggered each leading to the 2 DIFFERENT hot bus bar. The danger of my box is if u plug in to 2 outlets on the same bus bar, not on different staggered phases, nothing will happen, the meter will just read 0 volts or something really small like 2-6 because they are the same line, same potential. Nothing else which ftpuck is saying, I
think. So I first plug in my box and verify with the meter that I am getting 240, which is 50 percent odds. Then proceed. This is to play it safe, I don’t plug in my box until verifying they are different phases and 240. This is done by putting one meter lead in the hot of one extension cord and one in the hot of the other. Once the outlet is verified it’s on my mental list of safe outlets to plug into to get 240. I know my box is on the risky side, so I always watch it and unplug it when I leave the shop or do something else.
The reason why it’s a 120 outlet is because my welder has a 120 adapter plug and I didn’t have funds for a 240 outlet and I figured it should work the same more or less just plug in my welder through the adapter.
Here is the video of how I made the box.
let me explain. In the main panel 4 wires come in and they are really thick like 3/4” and 000 gauge. There are 1 ground, 1 hot 120v, 1 neutral, 1 hot 120v. Each hot feeds a hot bus bar, there are 2 in the panel. Then there is one neutral bus bar. Then there is a ground. Any 120 circuit feeds off 1 hot bus bar, and a neutral bus bar.
The box is wired with 12awg and the extension cord is 12awg. It won’t melt, seems decently thick. 12awg can handle 20amps EASY, and even 30. I am only drawing 15.
A 240 breaker is 2 spaces so it attaches to 2 different tabs that are staggered each leading to the 2 DIFFERENT hot bus bar. The danger of my box is if u plug in to 2 outlets on the same bus bar, not on different staggered phases, nothing will happen, the meter will just read 0 volts or something really small like 2-6 because they are the same line, same potential. Nothing else which ftpuck is saying, I
think. So I first plug in my box and verify with the meter that I am getting 240, which is 50 percent odds. Then proceed. This is to play it safe, I don’t plug in my box until verifying they are different phases and 240. This is done by putting one meter lead in the hot of one extension cord and one in the hot of the other. Once the outlet is verified it’s on my mental list of safe outlets to plug into to get 240. I know my box is on the risky side, so I always watch it and unplug it when I leave the shop or do something else.The reason why it’s a 120 outlet is because my welder has a 120 adapter plug and I didn’t have funds for a 240 outlet and I figured it should work the same more or less just plug in my welder through the adapter.
Here is the video of how I made the box.
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