I can't imagine running a 70 amp 120 volt circuit, the cost of the added conductor to make a 240 volt feed is very low compared to the total material cost & labor.

What is your definition of main power? Do you mean main breaker or main lug?

What size conductors and how many of them feed this sub-panel?

What size is the conduit?

As you can see, some specific information is required, get it together & post it & someone will give you some specific advice.

BTW, glad younoticed it and took the trouble to read the FAQ.

Tom

Main power meaning the kill switch on the subpanel. Not sure what a main lug is.

What would the conductors be that feed the subpanel? Not really familiar with a lot of electrical terms please forgive. The only wire that supplies power to the subpanel is the 110 cable off of probably a 20amp breaker in the main box inside the house.

It works perfectly fine running numerous overhead lights and all outlets but I need 220 for the welder. Thus, that's the issue.

Conduit appears go be 2", it comes up out of the ground to go into the side of the garage and into the side of the house, it's 1 1/2" to 2".

Any other information that may be helpful? Thanks for the response. Sorry about the lack of electrical terminology. Thanks guys!

Very carefully take the cover off the panel in the garage.
There should be two black wires connected to the top of the bus bars(that is the silver shinny bars that the breakers are connected to) DON'T TOUCH. Then there should be a third wire with a white stripe or completely white, that is connected to a smaller shinny silver bar that would have smaller white wires connected to it. There should also be a green or bare copper wire connected to a bar with other copper wires attached to it. If this is the case you have a sub panel that is capable of supplying 120/240 power. We now have to identify the breaker in the house that feeds the garage(hopefully a two pole 70 amp breaker)

Interesting development... Someone put a dryer plug in (box) in the basement on the ceiling rafter. I was tracking the electrical box and noticed it and tracked it to an unused dryer plug. It is attached to 60amp breaker with 4 wire cable (big flat gray cable) colors are red, black, white and copper wires. Welder takes 50amp MAX.

The basement window that swings upwards is RIGHT THERE. The garage is 30 ft max from there. Is it possible to run an extension cord (make one) from that plug, out the window and to the garage for the welder? Of course I wouldn't be welding while it is raining outside. I see welder extension cords all the time and my father in law actually has one that is like 50' long or more.

Question is...how viable is this to do? I would just have to drag the extension cord to the garage when I need it, no big deal though. Would I need to change out the plug that is already there and upgrade it or are they fairly universal and would just get the right plug to put on the extension cord to fit it? I already have the box for the welder plug in so unless my thought process is warped today, that should work?? If they used 60amp breaker, would they also have to use the correct power cable for it or could they have went lighter like an 8/3 or something?

Feedback? Ideas? please feel free to also email as the computer is constantly logged on to aol.

dojosensei@aol.com

Thanks guys!

My welder's manual gave some information about what gauges wire to use for an extension cord of various lengths. Another alternative would be to replace the power cord on the welder with a longer cord of the appropriate gauge and type. I used a cord with a rubber sheathing (10 Gauge for a 40A arc welder) but it is only about 20 feet long. It has three conductors, two hots and a ground.

A dryer recept is usually a 30 amp receptacle.

Ok, here is the ONLY problem I am running into with this extension cord construction.

They told me I needed to run 6/3 4 wire cable to handle the 50amp welder with ground. I have a welder outlet box that of course fits 3 plug. ON THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE it says..."plug Green/ground into screw labeled GR, plug White into SILVER SCREW labeled W, plug Red and Black into the two remaining terminals"

I have a GR label, I have 2 gold screws for black and red but I have NO SILVER SCREW and there is NOTHING LABELED "W" on this. The problem I am running into is this. Where does the White wire plug into on this outlet? Lowes personnel were idiots and knew little to nothing at all so I went to homedepot. I figured I needed to buy a 4 plong outlet for the 4 wire that was already running from the breaker anyway because it only had a 3 wire on it and the ground wire wasn't even attached.

Home Depot guys said that in a normal 200amp service panel, the white and ground both attach to the bus bar, this is true, I've never had a problem with service panels. I took them to the exact welder and the plug that I had and they didn't know for sure on any of it but said YES it needed a ground and YES I did need a 4 wire 6/3 cable just as the guys at Lowes stated. They said they thought white may plug in with the ground because it is a neutral wire anyway but would not give me advise to confirm this, instead said I should contact Lincoln and ask them, which I did just now email them the question.

Anyone have an idea where WHITE might plug into on this outlet? I know I'm not going insane because the instructions point blank say to connect white to W/silver screw which where is none.

Thanks guys!