What size breaker for my welder?

[tanusfarms]

My father inlaw has a welder he has had for years but has never been able to afford the breaker to power it so he can use it. I am planning on giving him the breaker for christmas. I can get more info if needed but for now I know it is both a wire feed and a arc welder. on the front of it it lists it has a 60 amp primary and if I remember correctly a 180 amp secondary. I also will need to ensure I wave the correct wire for it. I will be going back out the in the next few days to do some work for him so I can get more info off of it if I need to. Please just let me know what info I should get so I can get the right materials. Thanks

[Mancar1]

Any other info off the welders ID tag?

[tanusfarms]

There is I will be out there on thursday. I will be sure to grab everything off of it. If I remember correctly it is a old Airco welder.

[tanusfarms]

here the only info I really have to go by. I know he has a 100 amp panel in the shop and doesn't really run alot of other stuff while out there.

so what size breaker should I use

[Oren09]

Its a welder so it needs 230v (240v depending on who says it or labels. That one says 208v)
House current is 115v (or 120v). There is already a 230 circuit in the house for things like a clothes dryer, but there needs to be a wire for it near the welder.

[basketcase0302]

I know he has a 100 amp panel in the shop

From the data plate you would need 60 amp service, (should be #6 copper wire feeding the welder plug/receptacle) to stick weld. If there's a 100 amp panel in the garage already, it shouldn't be too hard to wire that in. But be advised that most states require a licensed electrician to run the wire, (but run a poll here to see how many folks do their own wiring in the shop).

[Don H]

Install a 50 amp breaker for the welder. Use a 50 amp receptacle and #6 wire. Although the welder is capable of pulling 60 amps you would never need that much unless you plan on welding some very thick steel. You need to match the receptacle rating with the breaker size. Once you get over 50 amps the receptacles get expensive. One other thing to look at is the plug end on the welder right now, if you match that it will save you from buying a new one.
Don

[tanusfarms]

I remember him saying they had it on a 60 amp breaker before he bought it and it kept popping the breaker. I was thinking of using a 70 amp. I know its currently a 50 amp welder plug on it at the moment so I will need to get a 50 amp plug. I know there is a nec code that allows welders to use 200% over current protection on the circuit they are on so I don't think the 70 amp should be a problem. does anyone see any fault in what I am thinking here?

[fbomb100]

One final note, if the electrical service you plan to run this welder off of is fed with aluminum wire that's more than a decade or so old CHECK AND DOUBLECHECK ALL THE CONNECTIONS for both corrosion and tightness of the wire terminals/lugs. I nearly burned my house down because of pulling 200 amps (and the occasional 700 amp rotary converter startup current) through a 200 amp residential aluminum power service.

shoot don't remind me about my house wiring thats aluminum from 1970 built

[tanusfarms]

thank you for the replies everyone. I will be getting the 50 amp breaker. I know the service is fairly knew but i will recheck the connections before I hook it all. He already has 6 gauge copper running to the location he wants it so I don't have to worry about that. again thank you very much