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Help / Advice Needed:- Dual Voltage Welder & Transformer problems...
Steve Hignett - 15/9/15 at 11:51 AM

Hi All,
Long time no see...
I rarely visit the site as I'm not building a kit, and have temporarily stopped the project to turbo the MX5 as I can't quite make the manifold good enough, so until that's completed, car projects are all boringly stopped!!

However, I seem to have blown the turbo on my 2002 VW Golf GTTDi, and due to lack of funds am trying to replace it myself.
I've encountered other problems such as holes in parts of the exhaust, so I've ordered a flexi and Welderman kindly slipped me a length of 2" stainless replace the Cat while I'm at it.

Anyway, that's where I'm at, but when I came to fire up the welder (been sat in shed for 2 - 3 months), the 110v transformer is tripping out the MCB in the house, the fuse for my shed.
So, because I needed to get the job done, and its a dual voltage welder, I swapped the plug, looked for any switches to "change the voltage" but no, then fired it up and it wouldn't weld.

At 50 amps it "balled up" the tungsten, and low amps, did virtually nothing...

It was a little temperamental when I first purchased it (eBay), acting odd like a scratch start when on HF etc.

And back to the transformer, I refitted a new plug, tried it on the cooker "ring" in the house (so I wouldn't blow the sockets/lights etc) and it tripped out, so I left it on, went to the main fuse circuit board and flipped the switch back, it refused and blew back a couple times so I left it.
The reason for trying this way is people say that the initial surge is massive and when they've "started" they're OK?

I've also checked the inside and its all dry with no damage or anything suspect to do with the wiring etc.
I don't own a meter that can test a transformer, so I'm looking for past experience advice, i.e. this means its totally goosed or there's a chance it will work again?

Thanks in advance for your time/advice/help...
I'll put a second post up with pictures when I figure how to get them off my phone.
I only have pics of the welder, can take a pic of transformer if needed, but its just a standard two socket yellow ox one...

Thanks,
Steve.


Steve Hignett - 15/9/15 at 12:06 PM

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theprisioner - 15/9/15 at 03:48 PM

Most decent welders take 20A max at 240W that is a 5000VA Transformer required correct?