There are several reasons why you would wish to use a generator to power your welder. You may wish to be able to utilize the welder outside. Alternatively, you may not have a dependable energy connection in your workspace. Alternatively, utilizing a generator for power tools might help you save money on your energy bill.
Regardless of the cause, many individuals choose to use a generator to power welders. The only issue is deciding how strong the generator should be. Here’s how to figure out how much power is required to operate a 140-amp welder.
Finding the Wattage Your Welder Uses When Running
Many generators’ output will be represented in watts. To select one with the proper amount of power, we’ll need to know how many watts your welder is utilizing. You will need to conduct some arithmetic to do this. But don’t worry, it’s an easy math.
You will need two values to determine the needed wattage. First, you must understand the amps. This is an electrical current measurement. The voltage will then be required. This indicates the amount of pressure in the circuit.
Both of these statistics should be found in the owner’s handbook or on the manufacturer’s website in the technical specifications. The voltage may vary based on the sort of weld you are producing. As a result, it may be listed in a range. We want to use the highest value in the range for this computation.
Simply multiply the amount of volts by the number of amps to get the answer. This indicates how many watts the generator must produce in order to power the welder when it is turned on. For example, a 2,800-watt generator would be required if you had a 140-amp welder that required 20 volts. You may also enter the numbers into this calculator if you like.
However, there is another factor that you must consider. More power is required when the welder is first turned on. To account for this, increase the running power by 30%. Returning to our example, 30% of 2,800 is 840. As a consequence, you’ll require a generator with a minimum output of 3,640 watts.
However, most 140-amp welders will need a generator of 3,600 to 4,500 watts to operate. When in doubt, though, obtain a bit more power than you need. This will allow you to operate extra appliances, such as a tool or a light.
Determine the Wattage of Your Generator
The next step is to determine how many watts your generator can supply. The good news is that this should be rather simple. Watts should be printed on the generator or stated in the product specs in most circumstances. It’s probable it’ll be listed in kW. A kilowatt equals 1,000 watts.
Other times, the generator’s output is measured in kVA. This page explains how a kVA differs from a kW in more detail. However, understanding how to convert kVA to watts is more vital for our needs. Simply multiply the kVA value by 800 to find the amount of watts the generator will produce.
