On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:31:26 -0500, Terry
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 10:04:40 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

The outside box and the inside panel 30A breakers are about 18 inches
apart....

Best-- Terry

Might have been better to install a disconnect instead of a mini breaker
panel then anyway.

That does bring up a point; is there some reason that I might need a
disconnect on this outside box, considering that I can walk about
twenty feet round the corner, into the garage and flip the breaker
anytime it's necessary? Just wondering if there's something I'm not
considering.

Not needed - just have that garage door unlocked and/or open while
welding, so you can make the run if an "Oh ****!" moment happens.

Or bump up the garage service, and put a sub-panel out in the
garage, you can cut the welder power off there.

As an aside, that old outside breaker box was probably installed
because they were tapping into the old fusebox BEFORE the Main Switch
and fuses, or before the other fuses if it was a "six-fuse no Main"
setup as was typical. As long as the wires from the unfused meter
socket to the new breaker were under 10 feet, it was allowed. That
way they got an extra circuit to send out to the garage, and avoided
those persnickety fuses which tend to pop a lot when stick welding.

Of course, it can cause severe problems if the old A-base Power
Meter Socket and the #10 Type R service riser wires are only good for
30A, and you try pulling 80A or more through them. Things start
getting real hot...

(Some of the old power meters and meter sockets were good for 70A to
100A and can be left in place if they are in good shape, and you don't
want to mess around with permits and inspections... But an upgrade to
modern THHN riser wires and a more modern breaker panel with a real
Main would definitely be called for.)

-- Bruce --