How many Amp Breakers are for Welder? (+ Welder Wire Size)

The job of welding is a high-powered job and a person who works as a welder should need to know each information regarding the components used in welding. This article will guide you about what amount of amp breaker you should use and what the welder wire size is. 

How many amp breakers are for the welder? 

The range of a proper welder amp breaker is from 30 to 40 amperes and it is based on the current input of 220 volts. It should not be less than 30 amps. 

Welder
Welder

What are the important points of circuit breakers?

  • A circuit breaker is responsible for maintaining the current flow in the circuit and it will automatically cut off when the electricity flow is overloaded or shorted.
  • Secondly, the breaker should be used according to the consumption of the appliances.
  • The main role of a circuit breaker is to prevent electrical hazards. 
  • For ensuring home safety it is important for determining and supplying the proper and perfect breaker sizes. 
  • As if the circuit breaker is oversized there is a risk of overheating of the circuit filaments which leads to fire. 
  • If the circuit breaker is undersized it will continuously trip due to which there will be early breakage of the circuit which leads to catching fire. 
  • For the common current of 220 volts, the ampere size breaker for welders is 30- 40 amps. 
  • Also need to pair the amp breaker with a wire gauge ranging from 8 American wire gauge to 10 AWG.the proper explanation you can be read below. 

What size of wire did I need for a welder?

  • The size of the wire is different according to the breaker size as the size of a wire for a welder needs to be from 6 to 8.
  • For a breaker of 40 Amps, you can use an 8 AWG
  • For a breaker size of 50 amps, you can use a 6 AWG
  • In maximum houses, they don’t prefer powerful welders so they have a circuit of 50 amps with 240 volts which is able to run a 225 amps welder with 6 or 8 AWG conductors. 
Welder
Welder

How to check which wire size is correct for a welder? 

The following are some ways to check the correct wire size for a welder:

The standard welder wire need:

For standard welders, you can use from 6 to 8 gauge of wiring but using it with a powerful welder is risky. You can identify the correct size by reading below. 

Check the NEC table:

To use the correct size of wire you can calculate it with the amp rating or you can easily do it through the NEC table which explains the amp ratings and the proper wire size to be used with it according to the types of wire such as aluminum or copper. 

A circuit breaker is to be more than the welder amperage:

Copper   Aluminum  
Wire Gauge Size60˚C
NM-B, UF-B
75˚C
THW, THWN, SE, USE, XHHW
90˚C
THWN-2, THHN, XHHW-2, USE-2
60˚C
NM-B, UF-B
75˚C
THW, THWN, SE, USE, XHHW
90˚C
XHHW-2, THHN, THWN-2
14202025
12252530202025
10303030252525
8405055304045
6556575405060
4708595556575
385100110657585
2951151307590100
111013015085100115

If the installation of the breaker circuit is done by a professional they do check the wire gauge that matches the breaker’s amp rating by calculating the total amperage of the appliances and if the welder needs a dedicated circuit then they will install a bigger breaker than the amperage of welder for safety reason. 

Checking manually:

You can check it from the NEC table or by using the internet. You can also get the correct size information from the manufacturers. 

The wire size according to the voltage of the welder:

The voltage setting of the welder does affect the arc length but the amperage of the welder matters, not the voltage. As you can use the cables for both 220-volt and 115-volt welders. 

VOLTAGEWIRE SIZE
220V Welder6 – 8 AWG
230V Welder6 – 8 AWG
240V Welder6 – 8 AWG
Welder
Welder

The wire size according to the amperage of the welder:

The wire size should be matched with the amperage of the welder. And it is not possible to find the correct size of the wire without finding the amps. 

AMPSWIRE SIZE
30A Welder8 AWG
50A Welder6 AWG
60A Welder4AWG
180A WelderApr-00
200A Welder215 kcmil
225A Welder300 kcmil

Conclusion:

Hence we can conclude here that the voltage matters but it does affect the gauge of the wires. Knowing the voltage of the welder but not the average you will not be able to determine the size of the gauge. But if you know the average but the voltage is missing you can easily find the wire size. Before installing the welder in the house a person should consider the wire type, breaker size, voltage, and extension cord and then use the welder. 

FAQ’s

How many loads can a 200 amp circuit handle? 

A 200 amp circuit can handle a load of up to 48000 watts. 

What is the best amperage for welding? 

An amperage best required is 200 amps or less.

Rick Costa

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