Welder doesn't seem to have the power it used to


  #1  
Old 08-02-15, 07:01 AM
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Welder doesn't seem to have the power it used to

I have a Century Mig Welder that has some age to it now and it may be worn out, but it used to have to be dialed back on the heat selector to keep from blowing holes in the lighter stuff. I have to dial it up to get it do about anything now. My thought is that there may be a component that might increase the juice and bring it back to normal operation but don't know what or where to get it. This is a Model 200 MIG wire feed. Any Clues here?

Thanks

WML13
 
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Old 08-02-15, 07:45 AM
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How long is the cord you are using to power it? What size is the wire in that cord? What size is the branch circuit feeding the welder? You can see where I am going here.
 
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Old 08-02-15, 09:31 AM
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Welder

Yes, I follow your logic, but the mystery here is that I have a dedicated 220 line running from my 200 Amp Service on its own double fuse to a dryer type plug in the Garage where the Welder is located. It has been running with this line and set up since I bought it years ago. Would this welder even operate at all if one of the line fuses were blown?
 
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Old 08-02-15, 01:33 PM
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No, if one fuse was blown it would not work.

How many amps is the fuse? Is it really a fuse or is it a two pole circuit breaker? Have you checked voltage at the receptacle? It should be something close to 240 volts.
 
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Old 08-03-15, 01:26 PM
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Century Welder Power Loss

I should have said circuit breaker. The line is attached to a double pole 50 Amp breaker in the box. My neighbor tells me that I may have some oxidation on the mig wire that may be causing this issue. He said that where he works, they keep the mig wire in Hot boxes to discourage moisture and rust. I am going to change the wire after I tighten all the line connections from box to outlet.

Thanks!

WML13
 
 

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