15A – 10A ADAPTOR

[Magpie]

There was a discussion regarding using a 15 Amp plug in a 10 Amp socket. Well I have tested http://ampfibian.com.au/ on my welder (has a 15 amp plug) and whilst I have not cranked the welder up to max nor ran it for a long time, the thing did not trip out. The model I purchased has Overload protection and a RCD and it should be good enough for small welding jobs. I have to do some welding on my boat trailer so I will give some more feedback if it trips out.

[sailaholic]

Shouldn't trip at lower power as the welder only pulls full amps at full power. It may even only pull 12 or 13 amps at full power.

I had to run a welder at school of a 10 amp socket as someone else was using the 15. Had all kinds of dramas welding reasonable thickness ally. Problem turned out to be the shity 10 amp big w extension lead. Once I got a big cable onto it it was fine.

[droo]

15amp plugs have a larger earth socket then the 10amp socket.

if you did the norty and modified the plug to make it fit, yes you can draw more current through then 10 amps at the expense of heating and overheating your homes line wiring to the socket.
..and if it catches fire, you'll be in a bit of strife with insurance etc.. It'd be pretty straight forward for a fire department to work out the fire's cause..

Is there any chance of using a 2500w instead of a 3500w welder??

i only encountered this 15amp socket/plug thing when i was looking for a big-ass air compressor for home. No 15amp sockets, and i asked various places and an auto elec if it's possible to modify the 15amp plug to 10, learnt it was bad, made sense in me head too. So ended up finding (a lucky find) a decent capacity compressor that works on 10amps.. Suits fine..

[NitroDann]

Thats what cuiircuit breakers are for.

Dann

[droo]

true, yet that could get pretty annoying having to reset each time when you get involved with the welding work.
Magpie, if you do end up making the adapter, a recommendation would be to not make it's existence public knowledge.

[Magpie]

Magpie, if you do end up making the adapter, a recommendation would be to not make it's existence public knowledge.

No I'm not making an adapter I have purchased an adapter that is legal to be used. It allows a 15 amp plug to be used and the circuit is protected for both overload and earthing. It's main purpose is for caravan owners however the owners advise that it may not be able to run the entire caravan.

15A – 10A ADAPTOR
Ampfibian® connects your caravan/RV to a standard household powerpoint safely and legally.

The difference between a standard domestic powerpoint and a caravan/RV is the amount of power they are designed to carry. A household powerpoint is designed to operate at up to 10A (amps) but a caravan/RV is designed to operate at up to 15A of power. For safety reasons a 15A caravan lead does not plug into a standard 10A household powerpoint.

Ampfibian safely and legally connects a 15A load (e.g caravan) to a standard 10A domestic powerpoint, protecting the domestic power supply from overloading.

Ampfibian additionally includes an earth leakage safety switch (RCD) which protects people from potential electric shocks through faulty wiring or appliances.

[NitroDann]

The welder will not trip it unless welding at 95% for EXTENDED periods.

A shitty 10A stick welder will trip your whole house all day long but a modern inverter will be fine.

Dann