Extension cord -- new information

Crosley.In.AZ · December 25, 2006, 06:42:59 PM

I needed a better power feed for my plasma cutter.

At any setting over 20 amps the plasma cutter would kick off my 20 amp 110 volt breaker.

I had a long HD 220 volt extension cord I used several years ago to power my tranny parts washer before I built the shop I have now.

So I bought a few electrical pieces and built the pictured extension cord. I now plug into my 50 amp 220 volt outlet and can easily power my plasma cutter at full power with 110 volts & have a 220 feed if I need it.

My plasma cutter will operate on 220 volts , but i figured that having both voltages with one extension cord was a good deal.

IF you do not know how to wire a setup like this , DO NOT build one. You will release the operating smoke from your electrical tools! Once the smoke is released, the tool no longer functions.

Dave · December 25, 2006, 06:52:58 PM

I got 220 and 110 right here behind me in the ham radio computer room. i have an amplifier that puts 1000 watts and runs on 220v.. Sure glad i switched to the gas clothes dryer :!: It also make a great heater when its really cold

Dave

Charlie Chops 1940 · December 25, 2006, 08:07:43 PM

Or - you could put a smoke detector on it...

Nice job Tony.

Charlie

Quote from: "Crosley"I needed a better power feed for my plasma cutter.

At any setting over 20 amps the plasma cutter would kick off my 20 amp 110 volt breaker.

I had a long HD 220 volt extension cord I used several years ago to power my tranny parts washer before I built the shop I have now.

So I bought a few electrical pieces and built the pictured extension cord. I now plug into my 50 amp 220 volt outlet and can easily power my plasma cutter at full power with 110 volts & have a 220 feed if I need it.

My plasma cutter will operate on 220 volts , but i figured that having both voltages with one extension cord was a good deal.

IF you do not know how to wire a setup like this , DO NOT build one. You will release the operating smoke from your electrical tools! Once the smoke is released, the tool no longer functions.

1FATGMC · December 25, 2006, 08:20:42 PM

Good Job

:!: The only thing I would do is replace that 110 outlet with a GFI outlet. I'm a firm believer in them and I have every 110 circuit in the house protected by one.

Here is a quote from my construction pictures on my site:

QuoteRight below the main box I have 9 GFI (ground fault interrupt) outlets plus one more in the bathroom. Each one of these GFI outlets is the first outlet on a 110/120 volt circuit in the house/shop. This outlet then protects all the other outlets following it on that circuit. This is cheaper than placing GFI breakers in the box and since they are all in one place and labeled if a circuit trips I just have to reset the GFI or the breaker in the box above. It also gave me circuits to run my extension cords off of while building and they will be useful in the shop later.

Code usually requires the GFI outlets only where water is present such as the bathroom, kitchen or outdoor circuits, but I feel they provide so much protection to you and your family I want all of my outlets protected by them and they aren't that expensive. You could go back into your existing wiring in your house and find the first outlet on your circuits and install them. Just remember where they are so you can reset them if they trip.

The only other thing you have to be careful of with your extension cord, and I have to also with the one I made, is if that cord isn't #8 wire or larger it could burn up with a short before the breaker ever blew. Unlikely and I keep mine out in the open and since it isn't in the wall I don't worry about it too much. I just did the same as you with the plasma cutter I just got, and already love, but took it off the 110 and on to the 220. I don't know how it is wired internally, but the 220 should put less amps through the wires inside the plasma cutter.

c ya,

Sum

58 Yeoman · December 25, 2006, 08:27:52 PM

Sum...I thought that one gfi in each circuit would protect the entire circuit. Or, did I hear wrong?

1FATGMC · December 25, 2006, 11:38:54 PM

Quote from: "58 Yeoman"Sum...I thought that one gfi in each circuit would protect the entire circuit. Or, did I hear wrong?

No, you are right if it is the first one in the circuit it will protect the rest of the outlets down stream from it.

I have 9 since I have 9 110 circuits in the house and shop. Right above those in the picture is the main breaker box. The 110 goes from the box to a gfi below (in the picture) and from there takes off to one section of the house or shop. I wanted to group those so if a circuit went dead I didn't have to remember where the first one was. It is right below the breaker box.

I don't know if that answered your question or not.

c ya,

Sum

58 Yeoman · December 26, 2006, 07:51:02 AM

Gotcha. Thanks for the info.

C9 · December 26, 2006, 08:37:11 AM

Veddy clever.

I've built a few 120V HD drop cords for the shop using 10 gage drop cord wire with the orange colored insuation.
Use the nyon plugs on each end.
Makes for a nice drop cord.
Home Despair usually has what you need.

I've done them with 240 V ends as well.

I have an extra heavy duty 240V, 25' molded factory-made extension for the TIG, but it's seldom used.

Nice part about building your own drop cords is you can have odd lengths.
17' & 25' for the long ones and one of the most useful ones I have - and it probably gets used the most - is an 8' one.

Crosley.In.AZ · December 26, 2006, 08:53:46 AM

Quote from: "58 Yeoman"Sum...I thought that one gfi in each circuit would protect the entire circuit. Or, did I hear wrong?

Only if the GFCI is the first outlet in the circuit and the following outlets are properly wired in to the GFCI unit.

There are GFCI circuit breakers to protect the complete circuit with standard outlets. These circuit breakers are available in limited box designs IE: Square D .......

GFCI units can develop a false trip situation for various reasons. An electrician told me if there are more than 4 or 5 additional outlets after the GFCI outlet that can trigger a false circuit interruption. I had that problem on a couple of circuits in my shop.

All of my shop outlet circuits are 20 amp setups. My lights are 15 amp circuits.

:T)

I have 5 220 volt circuits around the shop. 1 circuit is 30 amp 220 volt for my hoist. Others feed my trans parts washer , lathe, air compressor, extra one below the breaker panel. All are the same outlet plug design so I can plug in my custom extension cord mentioned above.

1FATGMC · December 26, 2006, 11:36:14 AM

Quote from: "Crosley"
Quote from: "58 Yeoman"Sum...I thought that one gfi in each circuit would protect the entire circuit. Or, did I hear wrong?

Only if the GFCI is the first outlet in the circuit and the following outlets are properly wired in to the GFCI unit.

There are GFCI circuit breakers to protect the complete circuit with standard outlets. These circuit breakers are available in limited box designs IE: Square D .......

GFCI units can develop a false trip situation for various reasons. An electrician told me if there are more than 4 or 5 additional outlets after the GFCI outlet that can trigger a false circuit interruption. I had that problem on a couple of circuits in my shop..............

................... All are the same outlet plug design so I can plug in my custom extension cord mentioned above.

Yep, you can put a breaker in the main box and do the same as what I have done, but it is more expensive and I'm cheaper than you

, but not as, let's say frugal, as someone I know that drives a purple pickup besides me. (BTW George the video you shot out of my truck of Hooley going down the course is great and Jim what you shot is not far behind. I finally got all the video onto one tape for 2006 and it is pretty good.)

I've never had problems with mine triggering except when they should have.

I did like you and have all of my 220 outlets (

with the same plug design and have 2 extension cords I can use with them.

Crosley.In.AZ · December 26, 2006, 10:55:48 PM

Something else I do to my equipment is add a longer power cord. I use proper sized wire at 15 - 20 feet long.

1FATGMC · December 26, 2006, 11:20:13 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"Something else I do to my equipment is add a longer power cord. I use proper sized wire at 15 - 20 feet long.

Hey you been sneaking around my shop

, I do that too

. I usually wait for the cord on the drill or grinder to get bad first and then I buy an extension cord and replace the original cord with that. It is usually cheaper to than a replacement short cord.

Now what else do you do

.

c ya,

Sum