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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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1667109 No.1667109 [Reply] [Original]

Lights shut off for a few seconds when the air compressor turns on and welding is near impossible because the machine struggles to stay on. Does anyone know how to fix this? Its all 120 volt and in north america.

>> No.1667110

>>1667109
pic is from google btw

>> No.1667116

>>1667109
Go get a FLIR heat camera or similar thing and see what breaker or wires are hot while the compressor is running.

Remember the voltage drop that you're seeing is happening SOMEWHERE. It might be in shitty wires, shitty connections, shitty breakers. But wherever the drop is happening is is going to be hot as fuck.

>> No.1667118

>>1667116
Ill do this when I can get one. I cant afford that any time soon though.
I just checked and the voltage in the house is at 117 too, which it always seems to be there. Shouldnt it be at 125?

>> No.1667132

>>1667109
>all these high amp devices on potentially a 20 amp breaker.

Did you try a different outlet? You might need a 30, but that doesn't explain why the 20's aren't tripping.

>> No.1667137

>>1667132
Several outlets are showing the unloaded voltage is 117 including the ones in the house. I cant get the welder or aircompressor over to the house right now to test but using an old central air fan shows a voltage drop of several volts in the house too.
It was 117 when I posted earlier. I just plugged in a kilowatt and used an old central ac squirrel cage fan to test and before I turned it on I saw the voltage was now 115, then it dipped down to 113, and when I finally turned the fan on it dipped down to 109 and then up to 110.

>> No.1667139

>>1667137
post the name plate of the compressor and welder... then a pic of the plug you are using and the braker associated with this plug.

>> No.1667142

>>1667139
The nameplates are damaged.
The test fan will draw 4.5 amps or 13 amps.
The voltages I just read off are in the house not even in the shop right now, just a standard looking outlet for this one now. Is 109 in the house acceptable?
Now the voltage is 116 for some reason, neighbor stopped using a saw a few minutes ago, does my neighborhood just have a shitty hookup?

>> No.1667144

>>1667118
check it while the welder is running

>> No.1667147

>>1667144
I assume you mean after trying to weld to warm it up. Ill keep that in mind Thanks. A flir camera isnt something I can afford for a long time though.

>> No.1667164

>>1667147
no i mean check the voltage while the welder is going. see how bad the drop is. try it in multiple outlets. is it just as bad with the welder turned down low?

>> No.1667169

>>1667137
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity

> In the United States[12] and Canada,[13] national standards specify that the nominal voltage at the source should be 120 V and allow a range of 114 V to 126 V (RMS) (−5% to +5%). Historically 110 V, 115 V and 117 V have been used at different times and places in North America. Mains power is sometimes spoken of as 110 V; however, 120 V is the nominal voltage.

>> No.1667185

>>1667142
>>1667169
>>1667137
This now makes me think that your power company is at fault. Call one of them about it and ask.

>> No.1667190

>>1667164
Ill do that later tonight, the garage is like an attic in the summer.

>>1667169
>>1667185
Ill give them a call. Im getting the feeling that they have overloaded my part of the city.
We also have frequent power outages, often you can hear something blow up right before the power goes out. I think they are cheaping out on a lot of stuff.

>> No.1667192

>>1667109
>>1667132
>all these high amp devices on potentially a 20 amp breaker.
>but that doesn't explain why the 20's aren't tripping.
Ive often thought about this. Im sure it is a 20 amp breaker. Ive wondered why the thing never trips. Ive accidentally dead shorted the welder before(when learning) and nothing happened. People always complain about 120 welders tripping the breaker, even with the thing cranked all the way up (vintage transformer type) it will not trip.
The only time Ive managed to trip it is with fluorescent lights + air compressor + 2 x squirrel cage fans (smaller than the one I used to load test earlier). So I just shut the lights and fans off when I need to top up the air.

>> No.1667196 [DELETED] 
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1667196

>>1667139
The breaker looks like this, same color shape and location of the test button and no text written on the front. The link says its eaton and the box is eaton and other switches looked to be at least mostly eaton, so Id say high probability that this is it.

>> No.1667197
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1667197

>>1667139
The breaker looks like this, same color shape and location of the test button and no text written on the front. The link says its eaton and the box is eaton and other switches looked to be at least mostly eaton, so Id say high probability that this is it. However mine says 20 on the switch instead of 30.

>> No.1667270

>>1667109
>Lights shut off for a few seconds when the air compressor turns on
larger motors starting up tend to fuck up sine waves which is why your lights fuck up a bit

>welding is near impossible because the machine struggles to stay on
whats turning off? the beaker, the welders, or maybe a thermal overload?

>>1667142
>>1667197
so you are running a largish compressor and a welder that you have no idea of what they are required to take and you somehow think that this is the panels fault?
are you trolling or purposely being retarded?
Most welders I have seen for light use are a 2 pole 30amp breakers, post the make and model numbers of the compressor and welder so someone can look it up.

>> No.1667297

>>1667270
>Most welders I have seen for light use are a 2 pole 30amp breakers
Then you havnt seen very many welders.

>> No.1667298

>>1667297
LIGHT USE DIP SHIT LEARN TO READ YOU STUPID 3RD WORLDER

>> No.1667300

>>1667298
As oppose to what, 3 pole?
You dont need that for sheet metal work. They use normal electric.

>> No.1667303

>>1667197
Just drop in a new 50amp breaker and call it a day.

>> No.1667304

>>1667300
did he even specify what he is actually welding?
it could have been anything, 1/4" pipe or angle iron shit

sorry that you buy crappy low end welders and then wonder why it doesnt work right.. so how many times have you brought it back to harbor freight?

>> No.1667310

>>1667303
He said the breaker isn't tripping meaning things arnt getting enough power.

>> No.1667322

80% rule applies to large appliances that stay on for extended periods

Find rated amps for welder. If you have a 30 amp breaker run on 10/2 NM then you can plug a 24 amp welder to it no problem. 50A and 8/2--40amp max

My guess is your breaker is stuck and won't trip and Everytime you use it your wires are melting to ignition. Fire hazard.

>> No.1667337

>>1667322
>>1667192
>he only time Ive managed to trip it is with fluorescent lights + air compressor + 2 x squirrel cage fans (smaller than the one I used to load test earlier).

Breaker works.
Ill look into the wire size thing, thanks. Not sure why the mains in the house right next to the breaker is fucked up though.