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Ticking Welding Regulator?
vanepico - 30/11/12 at 10:48 PM

I started using my dad's welder again the other day, upon turning on the gas and setting the flow rate, when you start the welder it made a ticking noise and the flow gauge flicked.

It sounded as if you were rattling a spanner on the cylinder.

Its a 3/4ft/i can't remember tall co2 argon mix. It was pretty cold?

Cheers

Pete

theprisioner - 30/11/12 at 11:20 PM

My Oxygen regulator sometimes plays a tune depending on setting?

vanepico - 30/11/12 at 11:31 PM

When we first got the gas setup from barnet welding supplies it did not do this, the welder was brought inside when it got cold and wet but the gas bottle was left out in our not so air tight back garage.

This makes setting the flow rate quite hard as the ticking causes the flow rate to change.

Confused but excited. - 30/11/12 at 11:57 PM

Could be sticking valve inside or maybe the diaphragm is getting perished and going stiff. It is obviously cycling and shouldn't. Needs a service/replacing. IMHO

vanepico - 1/12/12 at 12:00 AM

Well it's less than a year old, maybe I'll get a video of it, maybe I'll take it back.

Wheels244 - 1/12/12 at 12:06 AM

Try turning the flow rate right up and then back down to your normal setting - see if that clears the fault.

Talon Motorsport - 1/12/12 at 08:34 AM

It's the regulator freezing due the gas being cold you may even find that it gets condensation on the brass parts, remember that what is in the bottle is a liquid and only becomes gas when released. If it's been left out side or even in a 1 -1'c garage then the gas does not get a chance to warm before it hits the regulator. Take the regulator off and take it indoors for a few hours to warm refit then see what happens.

DO NOT DISMANTLE THE REGULATOR IT IS A HIGH PRESSURE ITEM IF YOU GET IT WRONG YOU WILL PAY FOR IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!

Peteff - 1/12/12 at 09:51 AM

My Ar/Co2 cylinder regulator did it for a while and I just screwed the pressure right up and out again and it stopped making the noise. It was in August so not freezing gas, that happens with neat co2 and you can get heaters to help with that.

[Edited on 1/12/12 by Peteff]

mark chandler - 1/12/12 at 10:20 AM

Sounds like you are using to much gas, turn the flow right down, you only need enough to shield the work.

vanepico - 1/12/12 at 10:24 AM

It does it no matter what the flow is set to

[Edited on 1/12/12 by vanepico]

vanepico - 1/12/12 at 03:41 PM

Oh and the work still seemed to be corroding, as if the gas wasn't making it out the nozzle