welder problems.

CHOP SHOP · May 30, 2010

I have a 175 miller and it will light ya up if ya touch it.

I tested it and sure enough one of the hot leads is connected to the chassis somewhere making it hot.

I tore it apart thinking it would have a chafed power cord or piece of mig wire shorting it out somewhere. Nothing. It all looks good. Im lost. The power cords go into a circuit board long before going to any of the coils/caps. It seems to work still.

I noticed when it bumped my bender and popped its breaker after a spark show.

Any ideas?

zukkev · May 30, 2010

Whaddya mean 'light you up'??? (Can you provide Pics, or even video???

)
As in if it is plugged in, and you touch any part of the machine? Or when you pull the trigger to weld?

CHOP SHOP · May 30, 2010

zukkev said:
Whaddya mean 'light you up'??? (Can you provide Pics, or even video??? )
As in if it is plugged in, and you touch any part of the machine? Or when you pull the trigger to weld?

all the time. even when its OFF. With the continuity tester it shows a great connection between one of the hot 110 legs and the machines chassis.

No video. After years of welding I can take a jolt like a champ.:awesomework:

zukkev · May 30, 2010

CHOP SHOP said:
.

No video. After years of welding I can take a jolt like a champ.:awesomework:

Damnit!:haha:
I have a similar issue with my Plasma, only as soon as I plug it into the receptacle in the wall, it blows my 100A breaker for the whole shop!:yikes: I've been told it sounds like a capacitor shorted to gnd... Is it possible you have a cap going bad, but isn't completely shorted???? I am no welder diagnostician!

wheeler4x4samota · May 30, 2010

i have a 175 and it was doing the same thing

where the trigger lead goes into the welder there is a rubber piece so you wont kink the cord well under that where the cord hooks to the brass piece mine pulled away exposing the ground wires and was arcing out shocking the piss out of me i had to replace the trigger lead and it hasnt done it since

CHOP SHOP · Jun 1, 2010

so I unplugged the two hots from the mother board and the internal circuit breaker and it still shows a connection between one hot and the chassis.

I tested it for a connection between my bender and the welder, no ground connection between them. They should both be the same ground on the chassis of both machines. I knew the ground had to be unhooked and resting on a hot lead and not inside the welder either cuz the cord was unhooked inside and still getting a connection across one hot and the ground.

I tore the 220v plug on the welder apart and the ground wire had come loose and was touching one of the hots in the plug. Fixed that and presto, no problemmo. Since the ground pulled out of its terminal in the plug, it didnt throw the breaker to keep me from getting zapped.

Figured Id update ya Kev.:;

zukkev · Jun 1, 2010

CHOP SHOP said:
so I unplugged the two hots from the mother board and the internal circuit breaker and it still shows a connection between one hot and the chassis.

I tested it for a connection between my bender and the welder, no ground connection between them. They should both be the same ground on the chassis of both machines. I knew the ground had to be unhooked and resting on a hot lead and not inside the welder either cuz the cord was unhooked inside and still getting a connection across one hot and the ground.

I tore the 220v plug on the welder apart and the ground wire had come loose and was touching one of the hots in the plug. Fixed that and presto, no problemmo. Since the ground pulled out of its terminal in the plug, it didnt throw the breaker to keep me from getting zapped.

Figured Id update ya Kev.:;

I did check my plugs, including the wall outlet...no problems found; besides, my welder and my plasma share the same receptacle; sucks to have to unplug one to use the other, but....point is the welder works fine. :awesomework:Thanks though, might have to double check the plug, maybe I missed something!:awesomework: