I don't know much about welders, as I'm still learning, so you might have to bear with me on this...

Anyways, my welder, a Century something-or-another went from working fine one minute to not working at all the next. It's a 110 unit, and was using .035 flux core wire, welding 3/16 angle when it stopped. I basically turned it off, then went back to turn it on a few min later and here's what happened:

First the welder would power up no prob, but no wire would come from the gun. So I popped off the cover and noticed that the rollers were not spinning when the trigger was held.

Then, a few min later it began to buzz every few seconds, and the unit would vibrate as it buzzed. These were short quick buzzes that happened every 6 sec or so on the High heat setting, and every 10 or so seconds on the Low heat setting. Still no wire from the gun.

Then it blew the garage breaker. Now when I turn it on, it buzzes really loud for a half second, and then immediately blows the garage breaker.

So what could be the problem? Something inside the welder fried? Is there anything I can do to fix this? Or... is it time for a new welder?? :(

Thanks

Take the cover off and take a peek inside to see if you can find any component (Silicon Controlled Rectifier SCR, resistor, voltage regulator, etc) on the board that is smoked. If it is cheap, try replacing it; otherwise it isn't worth spending much time on because they are cheap welders.

I did take the cover off and check around inside, although I'm not real famaliar with what I'm looking at.

Basically there were two large coils, one bigger than the other. None of the wires were melted, or loose, and nothing looked black or charred, but I was too afraid to go poking around inside that thing. I didn't go any further than just taking the outer cover off though. Do welders stay hot after being unplugged? Like any residual electircity to zap ya even after it's been unplugged and grounded out?

go over the duty cycle??? i dont know, jsut a thought

go over the duty cycle??? i dont know, jsut a thought


I don't think so. I finished using it while it was working just fine and turned the power off. Then not 10 min later went to turn it back on and the problems started.


I just said fawk it and went and got a lincoln pro mig 135 today.

I'm still curious as to what happened to the other one to make it crap out like that... I definitely don't want it to happen to the lincoln...

Chances are that it is the rectifier diodes. Had the exact same thing happen to my Century. Not sure if you have the manual for yours, but there are two plates connected to the transformer. One connection goes to the center of two circular plates and the other connection goes to a rectangular plate below the two circular ones. Between the two plates are the diodes. I got the diodes from this place:
http://www.brwelder.com/indexTemplate.cfm

Simple matter of unbolting the plates and replacing the diodes. I could immediately tell which one was bad (scored and arced) but replaced all of them figuring that if one went the others had been stressed. Up and running fine after that.