As a licensed electrician in Oregon and Washington for over 14 years, hire a professional!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />
Please do not be one those statistics and homeless because of a house fire. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />
RobG hit the nail on the head precisely, 240 volt dryer outlets and related wiring are only rated/sized at 30 amps!

Most, not all, of the 240 welders I have worked around and wired for, are 40 or 50 amps. I have seen a few at 30 amps.
If you decide to install an outlet, it is a much wiser investment to have it sized for 50 amps. It is easy to change an outlet and breaker for a smaller amperage, but if you only install for 40 amps and want to go bigger, everything must be replaced to the larger size(ie-pipe, wire, breaker, outlet). Why pay for it twice? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />
The outlet and ALL related wiring must be rated at least what your nameplate on the welder. Anything less will have safety and performance issues.

I have to agree also on buying quality the first time. I tried to tell my old man not to buy HF grinders, but no- he has gone through 3 and on his 4th, I still have my Milwaukee, the same one, no problems.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

So since you are a pro, what would the price be to install a welder "ok" outlet?

kevan

would there be any way for me to do it myself? Does the power company have to be involved?

Does the power company have to be involved?

I am not a pro, but I have enough background to say that the above statement means you need to have a professional do the work. You lack the knowledge to do this correctly and safely. Please do not take offense. As you know, we are very supportive of people doing their own work when it comes to their Isuzus, but electricity is a whole other ball game and is best not learned in the trial and error method.

Michael

especially messin with 220. My buddy was telling me when he got hit by 220, it knocked him out for 15 min. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
so does the company (utah power) have to send out an electrician, or do i call one?
kevan

There are many different factors that can affect price.
-location of the outlet in relation to the electrical panel
-ease of access to panel
-finished or unfinished walls in said locations

There are many factors that can only be accurately priced by an onsite estimate.
The only reason that I could see the power company would be involved is if your service is undersized and must be replaced, let's hope that is not the case. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />
The best advice I could give, get more than one estimate, talk to the people that come out, beware of anyone giving you a price for a job unseen. Make sure they are licensed.

And this is all asuming you own you place, if you are renting, you must get permission from and make arrangements through the landlord.
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Utah Power would not need to be involved, but you would have to have the electriction take out a permit, which means all his work would have to be signed off by an inspector for the either the State or the City, not sure which one.

Since I don't know the layout of the house you are moving too, there could be a few hold ups. If the house is old, chances are that there might not even be enough power coming into the house(if there is an electric dryer hookup ignore this statement) Also, they would have to fish wires through the walls, and install a new breaker(assuming there is room in the box) All this plus the price of the breaker/outlet combo, I am guessing you are looking at at least $500 just to get the outlet installed.

Electrical and plumbing add up quickly when you consider they charge out on average of $75/hour.

With what I see and hear you wanting to do with this welder, I think you could get by with a 110V. I think it would last you long enough to get the use out of it, plus it doesn't require any special outlet.

plus it doesn't require any special outlet

Yeah, sorta. You still will need access to probably a 30A 120V circuit, at the minimum. Your average wall socket is going to be something like 15A.

Michael

and keep in mind thats with no load on the rest of the circuit. a typical house will have several 110v outlets on a single 15-20amp circuit. assuming you do get a 110v welder around those specs, unless everything else is turned off or unplugged, you'll still likely be tripping breakers as soon as you strike an arch.

-Rob

Yes. Most 120volt outlets are 15 amps. A few in a house will be 20 amps: kitchen, dining, dedicated washer, and bathrooms(in houses wired after '96). So even a 120volt welder should have a dedicated outlet and circuit.
It's true, 99% of the houses wired the 15amp circuits will include many outlets in the house, and often in different rooms. The nature of building is to do the minimum required by code, since jobs go to the lowest bidder.. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />
So unless you payed extra, or built an actual custom home with extra circuits and outlets, you will probably need to add a dedicated outlet for that welder. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" />

O'ya, just because that outlet is rated 110 volts doesn't mean that it is going to be able to handle that welder. I just fried a circuit for this very reason, when I absolutely knew better. Also if you are renting an older home the wiring sytem in itself may not be up to the task. I think that you will find that nearly all landlords are not going to authorize you to put a 220 volt in, especially when they find out what you intend on doing with it. The threat of fire, damage to their house, visions of clunkers in the driveway, etc.