tig regulator questions

[ZeroHero]

How do you read this gauge(pic below)? Does this mean my tank is empty?

Also what do you set your flow to LPH or CFH? What do you guys use for mil steel stainless and aluminum?
Thanks for you help

Also sometimes when I hit the pedal all the way it seems like the gas is blowing my puddle away...is that too much gas flow or something else?

pic
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../regulator.jpg

[hankj]

Yup.

Yer outta gas!

LPH = liters per hour. CFH = cubic feet per hour. In the USA, most (but noticeably, not all anymore) systems are based on the Imperial "inch/foot" measuring system. Virtualy everyplace els in the world uses the metric system.

The right hand (closest to your tank valve) guage on your set is the tank pressure; the left hand guage is the output flow/pessure, depending on wether it's a flowmeter (cubic feet/liters per hour) or a pressure guage (pounds per square inch).

I don't TIG, but fromwhat I've read. flow rates anywhere from 18CFH to40CFH, depending on the application.

Hank

[fun4now]

Does this mean my tank is empty?
yep eather that or the gage is broken or the gas is turned off. i would think the tank is empty or the gage is broke as the flow rate side reads gas at 17cfh your tank could have 17psi in it that would not regester on the tank gage side. however if you are blowing away youre weld puddle you must have gas well over 17psi. i would try another gage. unless thease are seperat ishues. also the pedle dosent controle the amount of gas flow it will remain the same as long as the pedle is pushed weather it be pushed 1/4 or all the way the pedle only controles gas on (realy cilinoid but trigerd by peddle) and amp's the amps being the adjustable part by the peddle.

[ZeroHero]

Ok some points off the top of my head

-The tank is fully open in the pic

-The regulator is 2 days old out of a contactors kit.

-When I try to turn down the output gauge it won't turn down it will only turn up(going clockwise). The only way to turn it down is to turn the output gauge handle counter clock wise a little then press purge then turn it up to where you need it...is that normal?

-Also you can see the scratches from me not having the right wrench...can I get that replaced under warrenty if there is something wrong with the gauge?

-My last couple of welds have started to throw up sparks(like a mig) is this because of lack of gas?


-When I push down on the pedal the noise gets progressively louder....like a woosh sound from the torch....is that not gas and just a normal sound?

[ZeroHero]

Ok so I took the hose off the back of the machine and with the hose off I can adjust the flow up and down...I can even adjust the meter to full flow with nice pressure coming out of the hose. But the tank gauge still reads 0.

When I put the hose back on the machine I can't adjust the flow down without purging.

[jolane]

The third question about adjusting the regulator down sounds normal to me. You should adjust the flow while the gas is flowing. There are pressure regulators out there (such as for air compressors and the such) that are vented to atmosphere, but I am not aware of any flowgauges like that. Just open the valve, probably with the pedal, and adjust while it is flowing.
Hope that helps,
Joshua

[hankj]

If it's a fresh tank, then your regulator's high pressure guage is kaput. You didn't say it was a fresh tank in your first post. The inability to lower the low-pressure setting under no-flow conditions is normal. I doubt it is a valid warranty issue that you tried to use the wrong tool to install the flowmeter, but the bad guage sure is, so the scratches, etc., should be moot.

Hank

[fun4now]

yep warentee the gage it is bad. the instal tool is no biggy unless you were using a hammer
always adjust the flow wile flowing.
just a fact of life not all new things will work,call it murfy's law or what ever. thats where the miller's great warenty system will get ya up and tigging in no time.

[ZeroHero]

thanks guys for the reply

yes it was a new tank but I was tigging for at least 20 hrs in 2 days and the gauuge did read at first but slowly went down to 0 so I assumed I ran outta gas Because I had the flow way high at first because I pulled a newbie mistake and read the gauge wrong.

I'll pul off the gauge and take it to the shop and have them try it out just to show em.

Thanks for the help.

[fun4now]

tank size ?

what size tank do you have you might have just used up enough to drop the presher below what the gage can read. 20hr's on time could kill a tank off if you are running too high it is even more posible. it wouldnt hurt to take the gage when you go to fill the tank it would only take a second to test

just a thought, you do know that the tank needs to be all the way open or closed to seal and not leak, you cant open the tank part way or it will leak.

[glockdoc]

Your flow gage is nothing more than a single stage pressure regulator. The flow gage is just a pressure gage but instead of psi markings it has flow rate markings. Those rates are only good when used with a certain size "leak". That's why the gage sez it must be used with a .032 orifice. And that's why the flow rate adjustment and its accuracy only works when the gas is actually flowing and there are no other restrictions downstream (kinked tube, plugged collet bodies, etc.). These are some of the reasons a flow meter (tube and floating ball) is preferred. When you get the new bottle, be sure to leak check the valve and all the connections. Also, don't need the teflon tape, the threads are not your sealing surface, does no good, and may raise some eyebrows at the gas supplier. A big bottle is 150cf and figuring around 12cfh flow rate when doing steel you should get about 13hrs of actual tigging time. And finally, get in the habit of turning the bottle off when not in use, as argon is not cheap. Did I mention to leak check the valve on the bottle?

[ZeroHero]

I was hoping yall were right but yesterday I was working and I started to get all sorts of sparks and slag like a mig...I go over to look at the gauge and now both are zero


So I guess the tank gauge just can read that low amount of pressure.

Anyhoo yes it was a large tank and I used it up in like 4 or 5 days of practice...I know better now

[fun4now]

well look on the bright side atleast now ya know ya dont have to buy a new set of gages, just a refill.
TIG'ing uses more gas than you would expect due to the slower travel speed and, the pre and post flow. it catches a lot of new TIGers by suprize.if ya think about it even if ya go to start a bead and change youre mind as soon as ya hit the peddle you are commited to up to 10sec. of flow even if ya dont run the bead.that is just another 1 of the meny reasons TIG is a more expensive option of welding.