Honestly I'm a Electrician for 30+ yrs now, and if you have the knowledge to do that, you should REALLY run a separate 240v from your panel, brother I've seen so many mistakes, problems, and fires/ shocking wires/shorts. Please dont do this, a welder, air compressor, anything 220v/240v need it own dedicated circuit/ outlet, not shared in anyway. Please fix it right and be safe , God bless. Daren from south Florida

@arkansasmountainman

4 жыл бұрын

The reason to run a dedicated 240v is if one side shorts both breakers will trip shutting down both legs. With this setup you could trip one breaker and cause the voltage to drop to 120v and fry any 240v item you are using, at the least it won't work correctly. Seems like he knows just enough to get in trouble... This might work in a pinch but not a safe way to do it!

@tedthornton7791

4 жыл бұрын

Agree. By the time/material/compromised safety is figured in , you could buy the romex, box, breaker and outlet . Especially a welder is going heat up those stranded wires and rubber coating.

@SuperCyril2

4 жыл бұрын

Agree 100%. This will work, but its not worth the risk. Do it to code. Be safe

@DefyBuildThrive

4 жыл бұрын

V8SKULLS amen! This is a horrible idea. The breakers also will not work right.

@shreddder999

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly. He's deinventing the wheel.

As an electrician I do not condone the use of a gadget like this. It would be best to either set a sub panel and branch out your 120vac and 220vac circuits or just run a separate 220vac circuit for the welder. Glad it works for you, but I've seen to many fires started by gadgets like this to justify its use.

@csbeaver

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@xoukilong

3 жыл бұрын

Serious question.. How does a fire start? The device is pulling too much currant than what the wires can handle? And why doesn't it trip the breaker?

@michaelkeely2621

3 жыл бұрын

But what would I know I have made a welder out of microwave ovens and am currently working on one using several 36vdc 245watt solar panels as the power source so take it for what it is.

@mikedcc100

3 жыл бұрын

That's an ugly hack. Why run 2 120 V circuits when you can just run one 240 V circuit?

@Kwitzats

3 жыл бұрын

"I've seen" "too many" translates to someone told me about this guy one time.

The problem with combining 2 separate 120 volts outlets to create a single 240 volt outlets is that it violates the safety feature of using a 2 pole breaker in that if one breaker trips, the other one stays hot meaning that there is still a safety hazard present in your device. Whereas, with a 2 pole breaker, if one side trips it automatically drives the other side to the off position thereby eliminating all potential electrical safety ⚠️ hazards.

@starmc26

2 жыл бұрын

If one trips, the other almost SURELY will trip as well.

@azopene

2 жыл бұрын

I don't understand how this can be any better than installing a 240 volt outlet in the first place. There is a safety concern too with the two breakers involved.

@DieselRamcharger

2 жыл бұрын

its not installed, its a temporary device. it doesnt actually violate code. code doesnt cover temporary appliances. only permanent ones.

@samsnow7370

2 жыл бұрын

@@DieselRamcharger Agree... it's only used temporarily for one thing or another; maybe an industrial floor sander that requires 240v

@garysampson5258

2 жыл бұрын

@@starmc26 Do you know how many people have died from "almost surely" situations?

I've got an adapter at work that I built specifically to *test* 240 V devices with only 120 V outlets. Easy to build, but as noted in another comment, not suitable for something that will run continuously or unattended. Yes, "safer" to run a proper 240 line from a 240 V dual breaker in the box -- but for my (and my shop's) needs, it was the only option. It hasn't been used much -- twice, I think, in more than ten years -- but like I say about various other stuff I've made there: "When you need it, nothing else will work."

For my own home I would just run another 220 line from my panel. Plenty of room in there yet. In fact, there is a 220 line for an electric dryer in the laundry room that has never been used, we have always had natural gas dryer that plugs into 110 for the drum and ignition. But I like the idea. Thanks for the informative video.

If you installed two 120VAC outlets on seperate phases, why not just install one 220 VAC outlet ?

@builtyankeegirl

4 жыл бұрын

Why not just put one 50 amp breaker in the Box instead of jerry-rigging two that only goes to 20 amps Max? I installed a heavy duty cord from my basement out to my garage and a 50 amp breaker so I could use my welder, it works great and it's a safe way of doing it and it wasn't terribly expensive, I could do the work myself.

@MarioHernandez-tm1kn

4 жыл бұрын

That's what I was thinking

@cityhomestead40

4 жыл бұрын

@@airgliderz no offense but I've always learned best by mistakes despite all my schooling courses and certs I just learn best by fn up lol

@cityhomestead40

4 жыл бұрын

@@airgliderz I really don't see why this doesn't work or isn't safe ? I'll have to watch the link to his other video for why its bad... greetings from fixitchris123go from paducah ky

@Nateone626

4 жыл бұрын

Was just thinking that

Got a 240v welder running in my carport now thanks. This works excellent

I have a factory made UL listed chord that does this very thing you plug into 2 separate 110v and it comes together on the chord to give 220v we use it on a hardwood floor sander when there’s no 220v avbl on jobs . Lots of people say they never seen anything like this but we’ve ran for years and hav had no issues

@paullopes8070

3 жыл бұрын

Where did you get it?

@billloomis7611

2 жыл бұрын

Where did you get this? What is it called?

@tomnovak7731

2 жыл бұрын

And what is the amperage the sander is pulling? Probably nothing near what the welder will pull.

@jmdavison62

3 ай бұрын

I'd love to see a UL listing for a cheater plug.

Thanks. I would put an additional disclaimer right at the front of the video saying that you are doing this at your own risk, for those who don't bother to read the description pinned below the video.

I'm surprised there are so many comments that don't seem to understand it's an improvise to get 220 volts without running tens of feet of heavy gauge wire from a panel and meant for light-duty or temporary work by the person who made the junction box. It's easily unplugged and put in a drawer till needed.

@repetemyname842

4 жыл бұрын

SL: Exactly. People get hung up on running 220 from the box. Thats not what this vid is about, its about using what you have to get you by.

@strangerland9791

4 жыл бұрын

As some people pointed out, for SOME reason, there was a short or if he loads the circuit with higher than 20amps, there is IMHO VERY good chance that only 1 breaker will trip causing 110v to be supplied to whatever appliance he is using causing POSSIBLE brown out load to the appliance causing it to fail. If it is cheap appliance, then I guess not much harm done but I would not use this setup without another 20amp 220v inline breaker which is set to trip first so that both lines are cut off at same time. Also, he is using very short line which makes "portability" not as good, if so, why not just install dedicated line.

The majority of the comments I read for this video are correct. However, I felt like a little more clarification could be helpful. In the United States a residential electrical service typically consists of two 120 volt hot lines and one neutral line. Going from either one of the hot lines to the neutral gives you 120 volts. If you measure across the two 120 volt lines and don't use the neutral you will find 240 volts. In the breaker box you will find three bus bars behind the circuit breakers. Two of them are 120 volt, and the third one is a neutral sometimes referred to as the ground. The bus bars are arranged so that two adjacent circuit breakers will pick up both sides of the service in the box. This is why a 240-volt breaker is twice as wide as a 120-volt breaker. It has to grab both of the hots in order to work. Those double-wide circuit breakers are also designed so that if something trips it will shut off both of the hots at the same time. The arrangement shown in this video has the potential to damage your welding equipment simply because if one of those circuit breakers should happen to trip you'd still be sending power through the other line. This could cause damage to circuit boards or potentially give you a nasty shock because the power isn't really off. As a professional welder and an electrician I don't recommend this setup. It will work but there are far safer (and cheaper) ways to do this.

@bc3481

2 жыл бұрын

A

@KM-uw4ez

2 жыл бұрын

Breakers are not there to protect the device in the first place. Breakers are strictly to protect the wiring from causing a fire resulting from a short to ground. If your an electrician then you should know this. From what he already said in the video, he is aware of the device still possibly being hot in the case of one circuit tripping or otherwise not working and is perfectly willing to accept the risk.

@amberspenny

2 жыл бұрын

Would being plugged in to a gfi outlet add a little bit of safety? I have heard of people using a similar box as what he made but it was only one time

@centraleaves

2 жыл бұрын

IAM not a electrical expert but I noticed the box should be grounded to the panel .the box is not grounded sitting on your bench

@ElectricBillAlbright

2 жыл бұрын

The technical thing with your two power legs, L1 and L2 is that one is 180° out of phase of the other. When combined you get 240 volts. It doubles because 180° is half of the full 360° AC cycle. Its how it comes off the AC alternator from the utility company. Three phase power, each leg is 120° out of phase from each other. Three phase has some strange phenomenon to it and can be extremely dangerous for someone not familiar with how it works. Anyway just FYI as to what the difference is in those two legs its the phase or the timing of the two cycles.

I remember plugging in a spotlight at a construction site. Unknown to me, the 120v outlet was designated for the 240v saw. A 120v outlet, with 240v unmarked. It went boom, bulb shattered. And remember to test your 2nd plug with your tongue, because you don't know who could come along and pull a plug out.

I came for the comments and wasn't disappointed.

@billhandzlik3697

3 жыл бұрын

I think all power outlet should not be on same lines as lights - when outlet trip the light goes out and it hard to find your way to power supply box in dark.

@jwhammo100

3 жыл бұрын

Never seen so many electricians, in one place 😂

I've been an electrician for 43 yrs, I don't recommend this at all, especially if there are other devices sharing either one of these circuits.you could expose other 120v devices to 240v.and even if your lucky enough to get away with it you should have doubled up your wire size by combining the whit and black wires together on the plugs it would handle more amps and that wire you were using didnt look like # 12 wire to me.I'm not trying to pee on your parade but this is dangerous.In the interest of what I just said I just did this on my test bench and its very possible to feed 240 back to other devices on either of those circuits, If I was a youtuber i would show this experiment to prove my point.

@stevebabiak6997

4 жыл бұрын

The reason this is unsafe has to do with circuit breakers. A 220V or 240V breaker will disconnect power to both of the hot legs in tandem, but the rig in this video is such that only one leg might have its breaker trip while the other leg might not trip.

@tjl9585

4 жыл бұрын

Wire size is based on amps not volts. As long as the device only draws 20 amps, the 12 gauge wire size is not a problem. An electrician should know this.

@storm37000

4 жыл бұрын

no wires in this setup will normally carry more than 120v, only at the very end when they are combined in the device does it see 240v. Also i wonder if he should have put some sort of 240v circuit breaker into his device to make it safer, likely even GFI since its sort of outside.

@JohnDoe-kp3sw

4 жыл бұрын

Yea I thought this was questionable.

@codycall6513

4 жыл бұрын

Yep yep. Well said. Common sense goes a long way

I have many versions of these running a DJ service since my amplifiers draw up to 20 amps at 240 volts. Good idea in a pinch for temporary situations. I also use a combi 2 15 amp parallel combiner to 30 amp 120 volt twist lock for some of my older amplifiers - but be careful, you can backfeed with the parallel splitter. Be aware and familiar with site wiring or test site wiring to prevent someone from plugging in 2 1500 watt coffee makers to one of the backfed circuits. I've made automatic protected versions so if one of the cords disconnects either of the disconnected cord male ends aren't live if something is turned on.

@robertscotttuckerify

3 жыл бұрын

Great for temporary setups…

@lsmith2129

2 жыл бұрын

No it isnt

@drewreed4639

2 жыл бұрын

Good info, didn't realize the bus bars were setup this way, thought the left was one phase and the right was the other. This makes much more sense.

@dodgeramsport01

7 ай бұрын

​@@drewreed4639there is no such thing as phases in a breaker panel, residential home wiring is split single phase at the pole

Nice video for a cheap fix for a very small output 220-230 volt outlet solution. The only thing is that this is limited to very small amperage. It costs a lot to put in a 220-230 volt outlet but it is well worth it in the end for safety and for something that will do much larger amperage jobs. Not many welders are of that low amperage.

The outlets have to be on different bus bars, not just different circuits.

@rydfree

4 жыл бұрын

1:53 into the video he pointed out the two receptacles were on separate lines and he demonstrated that putting the meter on the two lines would give 240V

@theMekanik

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks 😊

@alexcoellor

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly!!

@Matt18880

4 жыл бұрын

@@rydfree Just separate lines is not enough. One line must be from a breaker on the left side of panel and one plug must be supplied from breaker on the right side of the panel. Only get 240V if this is the case.

@Jamie-Russell-CME

4 жыл бұрын

thats what i was realizing and it was not mentioned specifically. Although his individual testing would have signaled the problem.

Im was a Nuc Electrician in US Navy Submarines, we know kludges better than anyone. Good Job.....but the drawback is if you trip a breaker, you know have one phase power or 120v to your welder and it will now pull double the current as its gonna draw the same power no matter how many volts you put through it. That's why appliances are dangerous with low voltage brown outs and must be tripped. Anyway the 2 breakers are likely to trip almost instantaneously one after another. Just saying, while a great kludge and since you know how to wire, just wire the 220 up to a correct breaker, then you'll always be back to make another video.

@FrozenPaint

4 жыл бұрын

How do you figure? This setup doesn't use the center tap (neutral) at all. If either breaker trips what ever is connected to that 220 outlet will be drawing exactly zero amps as it's now an open circuit unless there is a ground fault allowing leakage. This is a legitimate question as I'm not an elechicken nor have I played one on TV.

@erod4489

4 жыл бұрын

Yep i did this at home to the dryer outlet. Im here to see if i can do this off a 220 outlet and a 110 on generator. Both outlets have their own breakers 30amp and 20amp. The 220 reads out at 46amps when no power is drawn but depending on what amp setting i use on my inverter welder say 120amps itll surge and at 130amps it pops the breaker. I will only be using one appliance at a time when in use. Any feed back would greatly be appreciated

Thank you so much. well done and very easy to understand.waiting for your future video

Cool idea. I can see this being handy when your buddy needs work done at his place and there’s no 220v outlet. As a homesteading video, I was hoping he was going to show how to get 220V from a couple inverters with this gadget. For a welder in your own garage, just run a proper 220V circuit. This is about as safe as a backfeed cord; it works, as long as you know what you are doing, and the wife or kids don’t try to figure it out while you are away. Scary how things change when you go from living alone to raising a family!

@coypatton3160

2 жыл бұрын

And potential deadly! In an approved design, you have both breakers locked together so if 1 side trips the other does as well. This easily could result in bodily injury up to and including death. Equipment damage is pretty much a given. Not to mention most near to one another outlets are on the same breaker. So you fail at the beginning. And greater issue few things 220v are rated at 20 amps. So many things wrong with doing this.

@rayoverstreet9254

2 жыл бұрын

Greasy and Coy, I agree with you guys completely. Many people on here keep focusing on the fact that one pole might trip and the other doesn't. But not many are touching on the fact that he has two outlets next to each other on different phases of his house power. Having separate circuits in one room is normal, so that his heater doesn't trip the breaker when the compressor comes on. But if they're in the same room they should be on the same phase of power in his house!!!! There's a reason we don't put outlets of different phases near each other or in the same room. Sure it works to help him run a welder, but that's unsafe it's not a dedicated line for the welder. The rest of the time when he's not welding, he has two separate outlets that he can plug into, near each other, that combined create 240v @ 40 amp. Many times I have had tools that get an internal short circuit. This is too easy for someone to have a lamp plugged into one and a drill plugged into the other and reach for both at the same time it's a recipe for disaster. He might know that these are on separate phases, but everyone else doesn't, and he has this now in his workshop and out in the carport. JMHO be safe!

@Good-Enuff-Garage

2 жыл бұрын

I don't see how this helps your buddy out unless he had the forethought to pre wire his garage for two separate runs a foot and a half away from each other, and if he did that than why did he not run a 240 there, ha ha, otherwise you gotta pull power from two outlets all the way across from each other in the garage if and I mean if (highly unlikely) that dime a dozen two car garage has two circuits in it, probably not

Hahahaha the little welding machine I was waiting for like a Lincoln Miller comercial ones

Main concern is you're relying on two separate breakers for one device. One breaker trips you still have power on the other circuit feeding that outlet. Easier and safer to run another circuit to a double pole breaker assuming there's space in the panel for a double pole breaker. Your welder should have a rating lable on it.

@willysnowman

2 жыл бұрын

Easier, safer, and cheaper. +If the house burns down with the current setup, good luck on collecting the insurance.

@rickhuis3773

2 жыл бұрын

If one breaker pops the load will pop the second very quickly

@mikecoughlin4128

2 жыл бұрын

In my case it is not easier. My box is a floor down and on the other side of the house. I think that’s the type of thing this helps with. I do agree it is still questionable though from a safety aspect.

@mrobvious433

2 жыл бұрын

If one breaker pops, the circuit in the heavy outlet is gone. No completed circuit means no power.

@brianb-p6586

2 жыл бұрын

@@rickhuis3773 no it will not. One breaker tripping breaks the circuit so no more current will flow (assuming a 240 V load) and the other breaker will not trip, but the other breaker staying on keeps one line live... which is a safety hazard.

Clever idea. FYI: Most garage outlets are going to be on the SAME phase. So this won't work for most people. Electricians usually run all the garage outlets off of a single circuit. Garage lights are usually on a SECOND circuit and MIGHT be on a different phase than the garage outlets -- that's what the maker of this video did. He connected an outlet to his garage lights (top outlet). And used a second existing outlet (bottom outlet). And both were on different phases, so this worked for him. But DON"T try to connect existing outlets in your garage. It probably won't work. Since they are on the same phase. How can you tell if 2 outlets are on different phases? Use a multimeter. 1. Put the meter's red line in the hot site of outlet #1 and then 2. put the meter's black line in the outlet #2. 0 volts = same phase. Won't work 240 volts = different phases. Will work.

Hey thank you, getting older and hips wider, doing more and more with out any males around, getting good solid instructions is right in time, because i had a fire and now wired my stove, and since dont have 220 yet, want to use it with 110, and that just today knew i needed what you shared. Blessings, great solid video.

Had to improvise one a long time ago with no real knowledge. And my hunch was right it Ffffin Worked. And believe me when I tell you. There isn't a room in the house I haven't welded something in.

@DAVIDBrown-zp8sz

2 жыл бұрын

I don't believe you . What kind of house do you live in ? I've lived in my house 42 years and have never needed to weld anything in any room. Of course my garage is detached. I'm guessing you're joking.

This seems both ignorantly redundant but yet equally informative and useful. I’ve know this was possible and I, personally, would just install a 240volt circuit. BUT, say you take your welder to a friends house to help them repair something and they don’t have 240volt power at all..... This will get you out of a pinch quite easily.

Awesome, very good explaining

I see a lot of electricians not recommending this but I have to admit it's a neat idea.

Excellent video!!! Thank you for really doing a great job explaining how to do that. I'm always amazed at how fascinating electrical can be, especially when I can begin to understand it. Again appreciate you and you knowledge. Sincerely, Randy Chavez

How much current does that welder draw, hope it's less than 20A.

Good job and very informative!!!

thank you for sharing and for safety precautions!

Plugs in contraption “alright nothing exiting yet, thats good news” lol literally me after everything i build.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

4 жыл бұрын

And we get the job done 👍

@poopthrower8313

4 жыл бұрын

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 yessir

@mayorb3366

4 жыл бұрын

LOL, Those of us who laugh have had premature excitement before. Having a screwdriver blown out of your hand beats the hell out of caffeine!

@MBrieger

3 жыл бұрын

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Hi, maybe you find the time to respond to my question. Being from Germany, I do have some electric stuff that needs 220V. Especially cooking equipment. Is it possible and legal to have a 220V outlet in the Kitchen with a European plug? If not legal, what is an alternative? Build your own cable? I have used a power converter in the past, but that gets annoying.

@lukepotosky7710

2 жыл бұрын

@@MBrieger Unfortunately, I wouldn't know as I live in the US, instead, contact your local code center and ask them that question. They will be more informed about those types of questions.

While this concept can in theory work, the male plugs ends you are using are 15amp rated, you also would need 20amp rated conductors #12 , the two separate feeds would need to be fed from opposite bus bars in the main panel, being fed from a double pole breaker. The 220 plug is also a 30A plug where devices requiring this style of plug general use at or above 20amps. Circuits should never be continuously used at their total capacity. As an electrician there are load requirements that need to be followed, great example is a water heater that draws 18amp must have a 30 amp circuit, while it may not cause a fire on a 20 amp it will generate heat in the breaker. Codes states that a load that uses more than 75% of the circuit capacity requiters the next step up breaker with wire to match the ampacity of the circuit. I will say this a quick solution in an emergency situation but if it is going to be used more than once, dont. There are so many over ampacity violations with this adapter, not to mention feed is coming from 2 separate unattached breakers.

@protectionoflifeandliberty1314

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. Electrician here from Utah. Code is for your protection. Sketchy. The reason the $300 dollar alternative is there because it has over current protection built in with voltage sensors. 20 amp circuit should only utilized to 15-16 amps. Not only as such, but a welder in the code book is a dedicated circuit. It is a violation. I’d feel much better knowing that the a tie handle was in place and both outlets were in the same box to become a single welder circuit. But there again, I’m not aware of a reliable 20 amp 220 v welder. It’s 30 or greater. Even temp power on job sites have 220v 30 amp receptacles. You need to upsize your wire and install the correct breaker. Even if it means to surface mount conduit around from your meter.

Thanks a bunch. That was very helpful.

I Love how u think, keep on dreaming up DIY options & sharing, this is useful knowledge thank you

Ingenious idea Bruce.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍

This is not a recommended way of going about this. Fyi your outlets are only rated for 15 amps, they sell outlets rated for 20 amps. 220v outlets are pinned together in the panel for good reason. What you're doing will work, but can cause issues. Just run a dedicated 220v line to your garage.

Thank you so much for sharing this!

Thanks Bruce! Great video

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

enjoyed your video just what I was looking for the problem I have is will this do harm to your on/off switch I have a plasma cuter it has 120/v and you are supposed to be able to use the same switch to use 240 v for heavier material the wiring may not be heavy enough

You knew you would get many negative comments when you posted this video........but not from me! Well done.

@patrickmartin1644

4 жыл бұрын

Or electrical safety standards. But hey in a pinch fuck that's a great idea

I did the same thing, but in reverse order, in hooking up my generator to power the house I was wiring. Each of the outlets on the 120V receptacle is s a separate circuit , just like the 120V leads into the house, so I got 2 cords and wired then into the 240V circuit. You know what you're doing, you're safe. Just go buy the double pole breaker and put it in the box, just make sure you get the brand name of the box and breaker matched up.

About the concerns over breakers that are not bridged, this can be handled with a 20Amp DPDT contactor with a 240V coil. Wire the output off the Normally Open contacts and put the coil across the 2 phases. If they are both live, it energizes and closes the circuit, if you loose one phase, the contactor releases and deenergizes both phases.

@twistymail

11 ай бұрын

lose, not loose

Thank you mister Darwin !

If you can dream it, u CONDUIT!!!

@lilbbbbbbb

4 жыл бұрын

😂😂

@marcs3982

4 жыл бұрын

Hahaha, now that's funny!!

@blipco5

4 жыл бұрын

Tom cat ..."u CONDUIT". 😂😂😂

@philwood1009

4 жыл бұрын

That’s just a pipe dream.

@MaturePatriot

4 жыл бұрын

Electrical Humor....I like it!

Excellent presentation! Greatly appreciate you sharing your craft! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🏜

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

I WATCHED YOU VIDEO VERY CAREFULLY.I WILL GIVE THUMBS UP👍👍👍👍👍

Also IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure the two 110 volt outlets are on different/separate legs from the service panel. It will not work if both outlets are on same leg from service panel.

@frijoli9579

2 жыл бұрын

Did you watch the video?

@samsnow7370

2 жыл бұрын

@@frijoli9579 he was only making sure people are reminded of such...

@Now_lets_get_this_straight

2 жыл бұрын

@@frijoli9579 he didn’t say different legs, he said different lines. Saying “lines” is the same as saying circuits. If you know what he means then people don’t don’t need to watch this video.

@mrchrisknight315

2 жыл бұрын

Because you need two different phases right?

@casperboy77

Жыл бұрын

@@mrchrisknight315 No, it's still single phase.

I would add a small sub panel and connect both 120v plugs to the little panel and add a 20 amp 2 pole breaker then come out of the box and put your 240v socket/box now your a little safer

I made one and mounted a 220 volt meter to it.. Works great! If one circuit drops there's no power at all shown on the meter, plus each 110v input has led indicator lights so it's easy to know which circuit is out. Used plastic electrical box. The only thing big enough to hold it all.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

2 жыл бұрын

That's a good idea!

Very very educational. Love it.

I was a service tech for Wards, I remember going to a very old house that had been wired by several people over the years. and someone had wired the living room in this same manor. The customer had just bought a new big screen TV, VCR and a stereo system. He had plugged in the TV and VCR into one outlet and he plugged the stereo into the other outlet, all was fine but when he went to connect the RCA cables from the stereo to the VCR and everything blew up. The customer said he didn't know what he had done but everything went poof. Yes this can be very dangerous, all is fine till you loose a ground! Never wire like this, and never drag a extension cord from another room, it may not be on the same leg either.

I agree, just do it right & run a 240 line. Also, not using the white neutral wires removed that extra little safety of having more than 1 ground. I know you have 2 ground wires, but I would have added the neutrals too. Also, an easy way to remember which is hot is Black Gold. The black hot goes to the gold terminal.

@serdiefgotreb

9 ай бұрын

Actually, the opposite is true. The safest way is to AVOID connecting the neutral as he did. That way, even if you connect only 1, you have 0 chances of electrocution. Or if the outlet is incorrectly wired. Imagine one of the house outlets was wired incorrectly (hot on neutral and neutral on hot, IT DOES happen more often than you think, especially in zones that use independent wires), if you have both neutral and hot wired to the plugs, you could close the circuit and create a nice sparky holiday...

I ran 220v 50A with its own breaker and 2 120v 30A lines in conduit here at my cabin. I have all the welder hookup I need and the trailer and mobile home are both on separate phases.

This is a good tool for the toolbox , it doesn't replace an actual 240Vac circuit. But, in this day and time we never know what will come our way. The more you know ...👍

Thank you for sharing. I like the way you take your time to explain.

Government buildings often had two separate 120 VAC lines (circuits) to a 4 by 4 box in the wall with two side by side duplex outlets. We combined the grounds, neutrals and hots. There should not be much potential difference between each hot lead if they come from the same main and all wire connections are well made and the correct size. We used jacketed 10/3 for the new extension cord to test motors and other equipment needing 220 VAC. Nice video and tutorial! You can save money doing it this way and it is safe if done properly.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Finally someone who knows 👍

@richarde735

2 жыл бұрын

that’s because it’s close enough for gu’ment work.

@fourfortyroadrunner6701

2 жыл бұрын

No this is not "safe". If either 120V male comes out of either outlet, that plug "hot" prong will be "hot" 120V to ground.

You are actually energizing the ground wire in that configuration. The two common wires you cut off should be terminated to all common terminals and configured with a pig tail terminated to common in the 220 outlet and ground all ground wires together as they are for any stray voltage as a safety and should never be used a energized conductor. Yes 👍

People mentioning the problem with the breakers are missing the point. Sure, rigging two 120v outlets to make a 240v is not "the right way". But, this is still a worthwhile way to improvise in a pinch.

It’s gonna work but not safe! 50a plug on 20a circuit will overheat the wires( under overload situation, 30a current could flow through #12 wire without tripping 20a breaker) insulation will fail way sooner than normal use and may trip the breakers too! Not safe for the long run!!!Better use a clamp meter check the real current required by the welder.

@tonys-nz2vj

3 жыл бұрын

He didn’t change the breakers out, the wiring is still protected by 20a breakers no matter what the size of plug he uses

I know everyones said it, not just seperate circuits, separate bus-bars. He did show to do the voltage test though, which will give you the answer of course. Preferably, you know ALL the outlets on each line, and you know the associated breakers. He did it correctly, but if you didn't run your own lines, then you should do a little checking on your lines first just to get an accurate idea of what your working with, making sure of course that it has the right gauge wire and right breakers.

Does a 20A breaker designed for 120V perform to spec when part of a 240V circuit? Will it trip at the same current threshold?

Great job!

I clicked this video just to see the comments and I was not disappointed!

@kennethpickens4084

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂😂 so did i

Dude, you are not getting "220v From 110v" - You are getting 220v from two 110v circuits 180 degrees out of phase with each other, which btw, is what most every residential service has. 120+120=240. Just run a 220v circuit.

@kayakexcursions5570

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly, he's using 220 to get 220, what kind of video is this!

@rieronpaul3723

3 жыл бұрын

yup your right, he is just wasting time. what he is doing is running line to neutral which is 110 then another line to neutral 110... if he just connect line to line he can get a direct 240v...

@warrenmccarty256

3 жыл бұрын

@@rieronpaul3723 if you run the line to the other line you trip the breaker

@THEENERGYINHALER

3 жыл бұрын

Yes Charles... but 220VAC IS just 2 x 110 VAC lines from the break box.. this is identical to that just done at the wall instead of the box. The only thing you dont have in this circuit is the double breaker bar.

@bobbyhempel1513

3 жыл бұрын

He's doing this cuz it's more convenient for him and the way he works; if it's better for you to have a dedicated 220 outlet install the dedicated 220 outlet.

Any problems that may be caused by tripping one breaker could be cleared by installing a 2 pole breaker, if you have panel space just use an unused space or remove the 2 single pole and use that space, one fault opens opens both sides.

Great job teaching is this handy ideas!

If it matters ... ? The 2 120 vac conductors may be unbalanced especially if it is Romex cable or conductors otherwise separated ... ? Gene Bowdish

A device which is called a house "burner downer". Ideal for burning your electrical equipment up and burning your house down. If you do not want to spend the money pulling a dedicated 220 circuit, make an 50' extension that plugs in your dryer outlet and take the welder closer to the house. If by chance someone makes that rig and plugs it into two receptacles on the same circuit, #1, they will have two 110 legs phased parallel which will destroy the welder, #2 they will overload that circuit which if the breaker does not trip can burn the wiring and the house up.

@pstoneking3418

4 жыл бұрын

1. If both recepticals are on the same circuit nothing will happen because the potential between the two plugs will be zero. Try probing two recepticals that are on the same breaker. One probe in one hot leg the other probe in the other hot leg. You will measure zero volts. 2. His mistake was not pinning the two single pole breakers together or replacing them with a 2 pole breaker.

@davidhorsley1149

4 жыл бұрын

@@pstoneking3418 Had two circuits on the same bus in the panel cross, couldn't figure out why one kept tripping except it became extremely hot(bordering on untouchable). Also, light bill was running about $250.00/month over what it was after repair. That was in the panel, now just imagine that same scenario through two 110 receptacles on #12 wire, (that's if it is #12). I thought the same as what you said, and had two electricians say the same. Had to find and fix the short to prove that wrong (breaker stopped overheating, electric bill came down to $72.00/month). And yes, both breakers were on the same buss bar.

I like how conscientious you are about ensuring grounds are correctly bonded and not shorting out, etc. However, you need to make sure the two circuits are on a breaker with a common trip handle. I'm guessing it was run with 12/3 cable, which means if it was done correctly, would be on such a breaker since both circuits feed the same receptacle. This is a requirement since someone working on the receptacle could (will) get shocked if only one circuit is off. IOW, that receptacle with two circuits feeding it must be on a common trip breaker. In general, I would suggest simply adding the 240 volt receptacle in a cut in box, being fed from the current receptacle outlet. This eliminates any margin for error and helps declutter your workbench. Ideally, you would run a small subpanel with 10/3 wire on a 30 amp common trip breaker, even replacing the current home run for the two circuits if necessary. This will feed the two existing circuits and give a 20-amp 240 volt dedicated circuit. Some electricians object to running 240 volts on circuits feeding 120 volt devices, on the basis that one leg will be imbalanced with the other. First, the 240 volt load pulls equally from both, by nature, and the neutral will carry any imbalance current As long as the total current draw doesn't exceed 80% of the breaker's rating, there is no chance of tripping it. Even at 100% capacity for three hours or less should be fine.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with you Casey

thanks alot for the box .i used it on my big compressor awesome.grate video....

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped

This only works if you have two separate breakers, each connected to a separate 110 leg inside your breaker box. Since you will never want to use that breaker for anything else (as a brief nod to safety) - you will always be better off pulling those two 110V breakers and installing a 220 double pole breaker instead. No exceptions.

@98f5

2 жыл бұрын

exactly you still need 220v service for this to work...

@ivanscountrymusicandcars2357

Жыл бұрын

I think what Brent is trying to say is these have to be on separate lines AND separate phases at panel. If you do not. If you have 2 outlets same phase this will not work.

@hilarioavalos5034

Жыл бұрын

A double pole breaker with the 240volts outlet must be installed together in the same box

@dodgeramsport01

7 ай бұрын

@@ivanscountrymusicandcars2357 Wrong! Residential electric service in the United States (120/240 Vac) is sometimes called two-phase service but this is NOT correct. It is only single-phase, since both line voltages are derived from a single phase of a distribution transformer with a center tapped neutral and are 180° out of phase with each other.

@dodgeramsport01

7 ай бұрын

@@ivanscountrymusicandcars2357 no you can do it on one bus and 2 110 breakers!

I see that you made a statement about "NOT TRYING THIS AT HOME" so that's good. I have not read the other comments so I am sure there are many with advice. But just at first glance, I wondered how you had two 120v outlets on separate circuits so close to one another...unless one was added, in which case a dedicated 240v circuit could have been added instead. But you also acknowledged one of your other problems - you used some materials rated for only 15A. Considering the 15A limitation at 245V, you will max out the circuit at 3,675 watts. So forget about the shop lights, you don't even have enough to safely run your welder, which has a generated output of 4,000 watts.

Great job easy to follow

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks again Michael

All these comments doesn't have any idea. This is useful for taking your 220v welder or plasma cutter to a place that doesn't have more than 110v plugs, so you can use your tools.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

You are absolutely right Keven! It's a handy device and will definitely get you out of a bind for some situations. It sure helped me out!

Thx for the informative video, I can see you're a HF tool dude , same here that place save me big bucks

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome JVF! Yes, HF has saved me a lot of money over the years too.

For the cost of the materials you bought you could've run a dedicated 50amp line for the welder. 20a circuit, 15a wire, 15a plugs; living on the wild side! I've caught a few those on fire and I wasn't using my welder!

@jessjulian9458

4 жыл бұрын

Are you drunk. Have you checked the price of wire lately. Not possible.

@MaturePatriot

4 жыл бұрын

@@jessjulian9458 My thoughts exactly. Am currently wiring my son's house, and you talk about "sticker shock!" Haven't checked prices since the Pandemic started .... it may be time to buy some supplies!

Good job Darwin...

Looks good to me!!! I used exact same setup to run an ice cream machine at outdoor fair. Worked like a charm.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

👍

@thepoopsoup

2 жыл бұрын

Ice cream machine is a lot less amps than a welder.

So thanks to this great video, i just built and tested my new plug. Im not an electrician btw. It works just as described. Thank you.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

4 жыл бұрын

Nice work!

@badgerpa9

3 жыл бұрын

If you have a fire your insurance may not cover it as this is not up to code and very dangerous.

Test the theroy. unplug one side with the device plugged in and check the voltage from the right plug to the ground. It should be 0. if its 123 then you know the device is passing voltage.

@csbeaver

3 жыл бұрын

Could actually damage the welder. depending on its internals.

do you know how to convert from 220 volt to 124? the house I moved into has a welding plug system already in the garage and I dont want to get rid of it but is there a way to make a device like the one you made here to make the amp go lowr so I can use some my other tooks on that ine

Even though I'll probably install a dedicated 240 circuit, I learned a lot from your presentation. Thanks so much for sharing this project!

That is very crafty. A little sketchy for my taste though LOL I would just take the time to run a dedicated 220 line from the breaker box

@frankpaya690

4 жыл бұрын

It's more the type of thing you would use in a pinch, not as something permanent.

Question: Let's say there are additional outlets down the line of one or both of these. If you plug in and run a 220v appliance would the result be that the downstream outlets also become 220v? I don't think just anyone should attempt this - you really should know the limits of it and be as safe as possible. That said, sometimes you just can't do it any other way.

@dannywilsher4165

4 жыл бұрын

That can not happen. These circuits are 180 degrees out of phase so they can't feed off of each other.

I did that once by mistake in a three way switch setup.. It worked fine with candescent bulbs, only the fancy big flat type switches I used would pop and flash if you slapped them on/off to quick. lol

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

Too funny!

Thanks for the tips

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

2 жыл бұрын

No problem!

nice trick to carry a welding machine everywhere without bothering about finding a damn 230 oulet! thanks a lot!

@andrewdarbyshire9108

4 жыл бұрын

Most every building in America has an air conditioning unit outside. Make a good cheater cord for you welder and tie it into the disconnect. That would be safer than this widow maker. Plus how often will you find 2 separate 120 volt receptacles close together.

@pstoneking3418

4 жыл бұрын

Remember you will need two 110 volt receptacles on separate legs to get the 220 volts. So your garage must already have 220 volts coming in for this device to work. If all your garage receptacles are on the same circuit then this won't work.

We do this all the time in the carpet cleaning business. Portables with heat need 220. It even has a light to detect if your on the same circuit.

It’s the same as hammering a nail using a rock, it works! Not pretty but it does work. I’m rewiring my neighbours garage tomorrow and I’m going to do this same thing and hide it in the walls except for the 220 volt outlet. My neighbour is really going to be surprised at how good I can do even if I’m not a real electrician. It’s the thought that counts,right? 😀👍

Convert one of those 120v circuits to 240v at the box using the ground as neutral and the black and white as separate phase 120v lines. This will require an extra breaker. Replace the 120v outlet with a 240v unit, observing color change. Everything will work, and you won't look like a complete hack.

@1alweidman

Жыл бұрын

Exactly what I did when I changed my well pump from 110 to 240, works flawlessly.

I recommend a dedicated circuit! Plus your extension cord wire isn’t rated for 20 amps.

Yours is a step up from my "test rig" : two extension cords from different parts of the house with a two prong lamp cord plugged into each hot thus providing 240v into two alligator clips!!! (I had an piece of European equipment on the bench). I hope your followers do not have an old Federal service panel and a "tombstone" buzz box that needs 50 amps! That combination would make smoke!

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

An old buzz box or any welder that actually needs more than 20 amps would be tripping breakers before letting out smoke I would think.

@JIMO415

3 жыл бұрын

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 yes sir normally but old Federal breakers have a bad reputation for not tripping! No point really. Keep tinkering.

@gravelydon7072

3 жыл бұрын

@@JIMO415 Guess who was one who found that out in 3 phase breakers. We had to replace all of them as they would either burn or explode. And boy did they stink.

I independently invented such a device -- only to find that the US Patent Office had my exact design on the books for more than 20-years. The kicker with your 'cheat' is that you should actually just set another box and bring the two hots together -- and you should swap-out the circuit-breakers back at the panel. Doing that will make your project bullet-proof -- and according to Code.

I'm a important guy that knows everything about everything. If someone comes up with a work around that benefits them in their particular situation. I will chime in and make sure everyone knows how smart and informed I am, while telling others how stupid they are. Thank me and my generosity for putting down the idea you was excited about sharing just Incase someone else may be in the same situation and could benefit from the video. I care not that it's common sense that people that would try something like this is aware of potential risks. Plus if they were concerned so much that they wanted zero risk, they would surely pay a professional, like me , the expert in all things to do it

@amandathompson4007

4 ай бұрын

Now thats funny you be a good candidate to compete against sheldon from the big bang

boy you sure brought out the Henny Penny's with this neat idea!!!

It would have been a LOT safer, and up to code, to run a three conductor plus ground wire to the garage from a double-pole breaker. That actually has a breaker on each line bridged with the other breaker so if one trips, so does the other one. In the garage, wire the 120 VAC outlets from black and white conductors. Wire the 240 VAC outlets from black and red conductors. In the breaker box, black and red conductors go to two poles of the breaker. White goes to the neutral bar. Green to the ground bar. Each of the outlets gets a ground connection, and if you use metal boxes, always ground the metal box. Note that some 240 VAC appliances use a four prong plug because they also need a white (neutral) connection. They often have 120 VAC light bulbs and control panels.

@patrickpeterman8736

Жыл бұрын

THANKS Patrick.P

@nateo200

Жыл бұрын

I don't understand why they make appliances that NEED 120 in addition to 240. It seems much more sane to make a 240v only appliance as I assume is used in Europe with their 220-240v system...I know we have split phase but it still doesn't make sense.

Thank you that your work the good way for me

Nice unit, a little common sense and good to go thanks man.

@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad it helped you out Dan! Stay safe out there :)