Hello, I know nothing about electrical!!! Although I am considering buying a 220 welder. Is there any way I could run some form of heavy duty extension cord from my 220 dryer recepticle to my garage, which is about 20 feet away? Would this even work?? (LOL) Hope this doesn't sound too dumb??Like I said I know nothing!!

 

Yes there is.

Twenty years ago I worked for a company that did a lot with environmental controls, haz cleanup work. Some of the equipment was water handling pumps requiring 240 volt power supply. We made up our own cords with the male and female ends customized for the pump controls. A typical example was a 6-3 SO cord with a 50 amp crow foot and a connector body in a box. But this was all temporary due to short term projects. If the project developed, conditions were upgraded to more of a permanent or long term nature.

I believe you should consider something much more permanent for your welder.

 

If you have a recreational vehicle dealer in your area, check with them. They sell 220V extentions for powering up RV's at camp sites.

 

If the dryer is in the garage, this might work.

You will need to fabricate the extension cord because the male plug (dryer) will be different from the 220V female plug for your welder to plug into. You may need help with the connections. You need to make sure that the cord is large enough to handle the high current demands of the welder. I would recommend that you protect the circuit with a GFCI breaker (expensive). You will need to provide physical protection for the extension cord so that it does not get damaged.

You will find that the supplies to make up this extension will be very expensive. You will probably find that an electrician can wire up a new dedicated receptacle for only a little more cost.

If you have DIY skill, you could do it yourself, but I would recommend that you invest in a book on basic home wiring from your local bookstore or Home Depot.

 

Do not do this. Have a circuit run. Extension cords are made for temporary installations. This is not temporary.

 

Thanks! I probably will have just have a circuit run just for my welder. I had one run for my compressor by a certified electrician. Pretty cheap too from I have heard. Cost me like $135. He ran it from my compressor to my electrical box in the garage. Then I believe he put in a 220 breaker in the house or something? Then he put a double pole breaker in the house I beleive? I remember I also helped him put a ground bar in the ground I believe it was. Big bar like 5 feet we drove in the ground! Ok, one more question, for now! I had mentioned to the electrician that if we could have put a female recepticle on the end of the wire that we had run to the compressor if I could use that to run a welder, he said,"no, because the welder would draw too much current." I'm pretty sure this is true, is he right?? Thanks again!!!! Jack

 

Sounds like he took good care of you unclejack. Might be a good idea to give him a call to do this for you...

 

'"no, because the welder would draw too much current." I'm pretty sure this is true, is he right??'

He is certainly right. I suspect that your welder draws substantially more current than a compressor, and probably more than a dryer would also. Sounds like your best course of action is to have your electrician install a dedicated circuit for this welder. Extension cords should really only be used temporarily as racraft pointed out.

 

With the R/V store might look at any good Marine store they would have a cord for what you want there for 220V.

ED

 

Thanks once again!!

 

30 some years ago we made a 220 cord from some downed utility lines. He had torn down a barn on the farm and used the powere lines to build it.
However, what recraft said is true. Our line was a pair of the main wires plus the utilities own ground wire mated to special receptacles. The reason I say recraft is right is when we used this line to run our portable grain dryer, the 220 panel in the house got very hot as did the line. My guess is the size of the wire was sucking too much juice. It is best to run a dedicated circuit with the proper CB installed. A welder works not because of the voltage, but because of the amperage. Even tho' our 220 was a 30 amp circuit, our dryer would overpower it, and it was doing was running a three-phase motor to move the grain around.