More POWAA for my welder

[ion529]

Okay so, I have a shed down the end of my garden where I like to weld and do stupid stuff. Anyway I have an arc welder which at maximum power gives me 160A @ 20V which is 3200W. When my parents built the shed they didn't take into account that there son was going to be a raging metal melting maniac and hence there is just 2 G-pin 13A @ 230V AC sockets in the entire shed, very inconsiderate I know. This of course allows for a maximum of 2990W which just isn't good enough if I want to weld thick steel without the fuse going every 2 seconds.

Luckily the electrician clearly saw my future struggles and popped in a 25A breaker for the shed on the mains board back up at the house when it was built. But here's where things get a little iffy: The cable for the shed comes in though a big dirty black wire from the house underground and goes straight into the G-pin sockets and then a smaller grey wire goes from the sockets to the strip light up above. (I've attached a highly detailed diagram below) I assumed that the strip light was just in parallel with the power coming into the sockets and turning off the power for the shed at the breaker would therefore turn off the sockets and the lights. But alas it only turned off the sockets and the lights are still fully functional. I don't know what witchcraftery this is but I don't really want to open up the socket and have a peak if there's live electricity going through her. My plan was to just attach a big 16Amp connector to the big dirty cable but it seems a bit tricky as I've no idea whats going on inside the socket.

Thanks in advance,

Peter

 

[ion529]

Why would you want to introduce an extra connection into the earth?

What wires are cut at the bottom, is it steel armour wires around the cable?

its not swa its plastic and you cant see it in the photo but where they all come in theres one cut and exposed, I think its supposed to be earth for the light but they just wired it to the plug earth which would trigger the wrong breaker and i'd still get electrocuted if the light failed.

 

[davesparks]

its not swa its plastic and you cant see it in the photo but where they all come in theres one cut and exposed, I think its supposed to be earth for the light but they just wired it to the plug earth which would trigger the wrong breaker and i'd still get electrocuted if the light failed.

No it would not trigger the wrong breaker, the correct breaker would operate under fault conditions assuming the earth fault loop impedance is correct. The use of a single earth for multiple circuits is permitted by the regulations.

 

[davesparks]

Looking at the picture again you can see the white plastic filler core has been cut off, is that what you are referring to?

The colours of the cores being used suggest that it is a 5 core cable, my guess would be NYY-J

 

[Spoon]

The colours of the cores being used suggest that it is a 5 core cable, my guess would be NYY-J

and at a guess, what size cable would you say it is? considering its wired to a 25A breaker.. It looks small to me.

 

[ion529]

Looking at the picture again you can see the white plastic filler core has been cut off, is that what you are referring to?

The colours of the cores being used suggest that it is a 5 core cable, my guess would be NYY-J

Its two seperate cables each with 3 cores

 

[ion529]

they're both as thick as mains cable like you'd see coming from an appliance

 

[StephenRowley]

See that photo up there? That's what "professional" is around here. I can do better myself

I don't doubt you could do better JOb tbh. What I doubt is you ability to do it safely and leave it a safe state.

A handgun is safer than a ak47 in the hands of a toddler but there still bloody dangerous things for toddler to have int their hands

 

[DPG]

I give up. Just do it. You don't want to listen to any advice, so why bother asking?

Sparkies are all crap and you can do better, so why are you still on here?

Sorry if that's offensive but I tried being polite before.

 

[Pete999]

See that photo up there? That's what "professional" is around here. I can do better myself

Deleted sorry I'm out aren't I?

 

[Spoon]

they're both as thick as mains cable like you'd see coming from an appliance

So too small for 25A then...

 

[Devonchris]

Not even a cowboy would do a job as rough as that. That's a diy job if ever I saw one, and I've seen a few, using whatever was to hand.

 

[MJPD29]

Peter you sound like a knob my good friend

 

[Spoon]

Peter you sound like a knob my good friend

Don't sit on the fence mate...... say what you mean....

 

[MJPD29]

Don't sit on the fence mate...... say what you mean....

I read his first reply in which he tars us all with one brush so that swayed me

 

[The Ghost]

Fascinating thread.