tig tripping breaker

[jas-b]

I've got a 4x8x1" welding table. I ran 120 volt receptacles around the the table. Welded the boxes to the legs and used aluminum shielded wire. Put a plug on the other end and plugged into the wall behind me. My dynasty 300dx has tripped the the breaker 4 times in the last couple of weeks while tigging. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this. Can it be fixed? My uncle's table is similar but never seen it tripped a breaker. He has nver used the syncrowave 350 on this table, only mig and stick.

jas-b
N.C.

[Tailshaft56]

It could be the work lead being bonded to ground but I doubt it. I think your wire may be the problem. I would use #12 copper minimum. #10 to the first outlet for the welder might be better.

[fun4now]

whats the breaker rated at and what wire did you use to run the cord, also how long is it ?

[OldSparks]

jas-b

[QUOTE=jas-b;82745]I've got a 4x8x1" welding table. I ran 120 volt receptacles around the the table. Welded the boxes to the legs and used aluminum shielded wire. Put a plug on the other end and plugged into the wall behind me. My dynasty 300dx has tripped the the breaker 4 times in the last couple of weeks while tigging. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this. Can it be fixed? My uncle's table is similar but never seen it tripped a breaker. He has nver used the syncrowave 350 on this table, only mig and stick.

jas-b
N.C.[/QUOT


Been lots of discussion about high frequency tripping gfi breakers, affects some but not all. Could explain no problem at your uncle's if he's not tigging. Does it only happen when using hf? Have you checked out section 9-2 of the owners manual?

[hankj]

I'm confused.

Obviously, the D300DX is not plugged into the 120V receps, since it runs on 240V single-phase minimum. I can't think of a reason for the table electric's to cause a trip of a 2-pole, 240V breaker feeding something else.

Unplug the table and see if the problem goes away. If it does, there's something wrong with your table's wiring!

It could be coincidental, and your 240V breaker is just tired or you're pulling too much from it.

Hank

[OldSparks]

I ran 120 volt receptacles around the the table..... My dynasty 300dx has tripped the the breaker 4 times in the last couple of weeks while tigging.

My mistake. I thought jas-b meant he was tripping the 120 v breaker.

[jas-b]

Let me clarify. The welder is fine. The dynasty is on a circuit. The table is on another circuit. The welding curent is back feeding through the table and tripping the 120 v, 20a breaker. I have the table grounded with the bare copper wire which runs back to the grounding bus on the breaker box. Not sure, but I think it occurs more while in AC welding.

[hankj]

Well, Old Sparks, actually, you got it and I missed it!

It's very common for external ground loop currents to wreak havoc. A better choice would be to bond the table separate from the 120V branch circuit ground. Since you've welded the device boxes to the table, the only solution I can think of is to buy isolated ground outlets (the orange ones - the mounting yoke is not grounded to the "green" terminal internally) and re-wire the outlets with 12-3 SO-type cord, using the green ground and the black and white. Plug that into your 20A wall outlet.

Bond the table to the ground buss with a separate lead.

Hank

Hank

[Sberry]

Hank, I aint nuts about that setup either. I like to use the hospital recepts maybe and feed it 2 wire from a GFCI. I have mine bonded to the building but still fed it 2 wire no grounding conductor with the wiring. No way for that small wire to become a work lead.

[hankj]

Hank, I aint nuts about that setup either. I like to use the hospital recepts maybe and feed it 2 wire from a GFCI. I have mine bonded to the building but still fed it 2 wire no grounding conductor with the wiring. No way for that small wire to become a work lead.

That's another plan! I always forget about GFCI's!

In any case, he needs a beefy ground connection (#6) from the table to the driven ground system, or else let the table float!

Hank

[Sberry]

I do like it grounded just in case of short circuit from some non gfci source, the main thing is to prevent welding currents from using it. I use a single circuit to the benches too, I had to fix my setup up, had 2 circuits from 2 different panels, bad plan. I have a steel building and am bonded to it but skip the ground with the wiring. A single bench with a wooden building may be different, I didn't like 3 wire insulated because it was fine with everything unplugged but I figured out at the time with my system there was a possibility of grounding thru a grounded tool laying on the bench.