Illegal under what Law? How would anyone know unless you put a big sign on your house! I think what you suggest is a very sensible idea. It would also stop anything else being used in the sockets. Go for it.
I have installed a 60 amp capable single phese supply to my workshop to run a TIG welder, and it terminates at a fused wall switch box. I need to have
2 power points off this, capable, in extremis, of supplying the welding machine at its maximum load of 60 amps. What 3 pin plugs are available to handle that sort of current? Would it be illegal to use 5 pin 3 phase plugs and sockets and share the live and neutral loads over 2 pins each? Cheers.230V 63 amp (and even 125A) connectors are available, but expensive - I've seen them used for stage lighting. e.g. Plug :
workshop to run
available to
each? Cheers.
expensive - I've seen them used for stage
Personally I'd use a blue single phase 63 amp plug / socket so that there is no confusion in future. See TLC
On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 18:01:53 GMT someone who may be "ron" wrote this:-
63A BS4343 sockets (now called EN 60309, but most people still prefer to use the more memorable name BS4343) are the obvious choice. These are available in 230V two pole and earth form, from a good electrical supplier. No need to use the three phase (red coloured) versions.These need to be wired on individual radial circuits, so the distribution board in the workshop is going to have at least four ways, one for each socket circuit, one for BS1363 sockets and one for lighting. It may also have ways for other circuits of course.
Unless the sub-main to the workshop is rated at at least 100A discrimination between the BS4343 sockets and the rest of the workshop is going to be difficult. That means that any fault on the welder is likely to take out the lights as well, which is not good design but many garages have similar design faults. An alternative would be a separate supply for BS1363 sockets and lighting, with separate boards in the workshop.
Use a 63A EN60309 (née BS4343) connector, or wire the welder in permanently.
I suspect you could be prosecuted for manslaughter if it killed someone. Furthermore, parallelling up pins in a connector doesn't multiply up it's current carrying capacity, so it may overheat and fail.
Note the mutual detrimental influence of such a welder on a residential supply network could land you with an order to disconnect it or have your supply cut off.
Just another thought -- is this 60A the welding current, or the max supply current (for which it seems very high)? A quick glace at a few web pages, and I can't see a single phase TIG welder which draws more than 20A from the supply.
Just buy the correct ones!
Any electrical wholesaler should be able to order for you
I was wondering that too. The larger welders I've come across have tended to be 400 V, for connection across two phases of a 3-ph supply.
63A CEE?
Certainly against the regs and thus puts you on very thin ice should anything go wrong.
IMHO it would be acceptable for the two sockets to share one circuit, as it is unlikely that anything else but the OP's one welder would, or could, be connected simultaneously.
Of course, if the OP then buys a second welder ...
Owain
BS7671 for starters (now with legal force as it forms a part of the building regs)
Your workshop bursting into flames perhaps?
Unless they also had (genuinely required) 3ph connectors on them.
Hardwired or an appropriate single phase connector would be the way to go.
Don't parallel up connectors. The behaviour is not as you expect. Any slightly poor connection causes extra current to go down the other connection, causing overload, and in the worst case, fire. Use a proper 63A plug/socket.
Christian.
I have just ordered the farnell 63 amp single phase plug amnd wall socket, plus an extar plug and trailing socket to make up an extension lead. I have limited 3 phase offa 10HP rotary phase convertor, so the chance would exist for someone to connect single phase to 3 or vice versa if I tried to use my existing stock of 3 phase connection stuff.... Not good, not worth the risk. Thanks for all the detailed info and help guys!
Will I find multi strand 3 core flexible extension cable easily enough? The styuff on the welder now is rubber sheathed, and unlike any flexible mains cable i have come across before, this stuff is seriously hefty! OD over the sheath must be 20mm. Thanks again,have a great Christmas and a healthy New Year.
I have a pic of the wiring info and load plate at ftp://ftp.chriswilson.tv/mig It will run 3 phase across 2 phases, or via an internal jumper, off a single phase 230 volt supply
I have a pic of the wiring info and load plate at ftp://ftp.chriswilson.tv/mig It will run 3 phase across 2 phases, or via an internal jumper, off a single phase 230 volt supply
The least worst case is where the connectors are seperately connected to the load, via seperate cables, with substantial internal resistance, so that the nominal cable resistance is maybe 10 times that of the socket connection. Failing this, seperately fusing the connectors works. But it is poor safety practice for a number of other reasons.
On Sun, 18 Dec 2005 21:39:11 +0000 someone who may be Owain wrote this:-
It would be arguable that such a non-standard arrangement is acceptable these particular circumstances. I might even argue it myself if I was responsible for the installation.
However, saving one way on the garage board does nothing for the discrimination problem.
Oh yes, and circuits too - interesting. That's certainly a serious piece of welding equipment...
I suspect you'd have been OK sizing the supply based on the 60% duty cycle ratings and a 40 A circuit would have been OK, but there's no harm in a bit of over-engineering sometimes.
Should be easily available from stage lighting suppliers
Kim.
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