need eletrical advise (220v)

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Hi everybody. I took an into to welding class last semester.  I ended up buying a thermal arc 251 mig welder. My house is very old and i need to know if it is possible to wire up a 220v plug  to it.  any advise would be helpful.  check out the links provided to see fuse panel. if so what am i looking to spend.  thankshttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/PC290036.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/PC290037.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/PC290035.jpg
Reply:I'm not an expert with household electrical, but it looks to me as if you only have 110v service to that panel. For 220/240 volt service you will have two "hot" lines and a neutral, so three conductors total. The voltage across either hot and the neutral is 110v and the voltage across the two hots is 220/240v. I could be missing something, but I only see two conductors in the photos.
Reply:ya i beleive it is all 110v.  so ill need 220v service.  what is needed for that.
Reply:Holy cow! That's something right out of past. Your going to have to get just the right electrician on this one.  First phone call is to a local electrician with a good reputation. You need someone who can get you through this both expertly and cost effectively. You're going to need a new main service panel and service drop both, so as to set yourself up for new additions and/or growth without redoing the entire house. You don't want to take any chances of getting too many or too few people involved.   Real fine line.Edit to add, yes that service drop is one hot, one neutral. One hot wrapped around the roofing to boot Last edited by Sandy; 12-29-2006 at 10:26 PM.
Reply:would it be cheaper to get a generator? ill have to look closer to see how many wires i have.  oh here  is another pic.
Reply:I didn't even know 120v services existed!!  I would say it's time for a service upgrade, but I'm warning you they aren't cheap.  Are all your major appliances gas?  Water heater, range, dryer, household heat?
Reply:Check the meter, it should give the voltage on the spec plate.Just checked mine and it shows 240v (I have 220v)Do you have a voltmeter?My angle grinder is my best friend!
Reply:Originally Posted by Stone_Elviswould it be cheaper to get a generator? ill have to look closer to see how many wires i have.  oh here  is another pic.
Reply:ya the house is very old,  i believe it was built in the 40's.  there are only two cicuits in this house. one for the kitchen and one  for the rest. water heater must be gas .  heat is also gas, no washer or dryer.  rent is very cheap and the ocean view is to die for .  besides that the house is a 3 bedroom tent with walls (surf shack). i would be willing to spend a grand.  but it sounds like it might cost more.
Reply:i would be willing to spend a grand. but it sounds like it might cost more.
Reply:you guys are a big help.  lot of good idea's.  ya all i need is a box with 220v next to the rest of them. Im thinking that i could ask the landlord to foot the bill for a 220v plug for a dryer  . or go in halfs.heres a pic of the view
Reply:In 1997 I bought a house down here that was built in 1870. It still had the original service and fuse panel, so the insurance company wouldn't insure it until we had the service upgraded. They gave us two weeks from closing and the city let us do it basically without a permit because of the time frame. A 200 amp panel, new mast, conductors and labor came to $2500. This kind of work is much more expensive here than California. The house already had 220 service.
Reply:If you are not the homeowner, I'd try talking with the owner tosee about replacement of your service with one that meets currentNEC and local codes. The new service will be 120/240V and shouldbe rated for at least 100 amps. Your existing service is probably240V, but only 50 amps. As someone else stated, you can takea look at the meter and/or place a voltmeter across the two leadsat the fuse terminals in the fuse box. If it is 240V the neutral isderived from a ground rod somewhere near the panel. It wouldbe helpful to see more pictures of the side of the house with allconduits and wires shown. Another thing you can do is call theutility company and ask them what the service is. They should haveall the particulars on file.