220 to 110 plug?

chris k

chris k

Active member
I have a step up and down converter I was planning to plug my 220 welder into but the problem is the welder has a 3 prong plug that is bigger then a normal one.I tried searching for some sort of adapter (male/female) to plug onto the welder that I would then be able to plug into the converter . If someone could point me in the right direction here I have no 220 outlets in my house and my box is two small to add a line with out replacing the entire box. Plus I rent and plan to move in the near future....Any ideas out there.
 
I have a step up and down converter I was planning to plug my 220 welder into but the problem is the welder has a 3 prong plug that is bigger then a normal one.
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Chris,
The plugs are sized that way so you don't plug too big a load into too small of a source. Any adapter you might find would defeat this safety measure, putting you and your home at additional risk.
 
I have a step up and down converter I was planning to plug my 220 welder into but the problem is the welder has a 3 prong plug that is bigger then a normal one.I tried searching for some sort of adapter (male/female) to plug onto the welder that I would then be able to plug into the converter . If someone could point me in the right direction here I have no 220 outlets in my house and my box is two small to add a line with out replacing the entire box. Plus I rent and plan to move in the near future....Any ideas out there.
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I'd be surprised if a converter is going to produce the amps of 220V you need to power a welder - unless there is some magic I don't know of.

How many amps is your welder? You would need 2 110V lines of those amps to run it. I haven't used a converter, but I would think you would need more than double the amps of 110V to convert to 220V and that isn't going to happen with a residential 110V line.
 
I was starting to figure that out as well guess ill just scrap the hole idea return the converter and get a 110 welder and sell this other one. Thanks for the input and for saving me from a disaster.
 
Depending on the amount of usage of the welder (and how much you want to play with the panel box.) You could unhook a breaker and hook in a temporary 220breaker with a plug to run it and when finished put back the other one. I have to do it alot for work (so much nicer than carrying around a large generator for 220), i do get some strange looks from people when i open it up though.
Or you can do what some of the flooring guys do around here, they clamp large alligator clips up to the leads in the panel for there sanders.
I would suggest to have a electrician show you how to do it.
 
Most breaker boxes will support a few tandem breakers towards the bottom. Can install a couple of those to free up space for a 220 hookup.
 
If things are wired normally you have two 110 lines coming into your home. Accordingly, it should not be an issue to install a 220 outlet. Even if you do not have room in your existing box a second box can be installed to create room for your 220 curcuit. This is not uncommon when wiring in older homes. I have helped install more than 1 of these.
 
You will likely be able to install a 220 box on a new circuit if you have a modern service box with space left and a 100amp service.

Better call an electrician though.
 
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