My shiny new TIG welder arrived in the mail today so I'm all smiles about that, now I can properly get stuck into a few things.

Reading the safety warnings (I must be getting old). There were a couple that struck me...

1. That the unit should be grounded from the case to prevent possible HF interference affecting other electrical equipment.
2. That HF interference can stop peoples pacemakers.

Now I live over the road from some assisted living units for old folk, and the last thing I want to do is stop some old boys pacemaker when I spark up.

So does anyone know:
1. What the range of the generated interference might be?
2. Does the unit really need the separate earth and is this something common on TIG welders with HF start?

the unit I've got can be seen here you can see the earth connecting bolt on the back of the unit.
And before anyone starts I don't care about welding ally so I didn't get the AC/DC version just the DC version.

I'll probably call the store tomorrow to check with them on the subject too but more feedback from the real world can't hurt.

why not do the trile and error approch ?

if one dropped down move the tig further away ?

1. Think a silvertop with a dicky ticker would need to be a couple of feet (probably actually inches) away before it could cause a problem. But I'm not an expert on pacemakers. It reads like a generic legal arse cover phrase rather than a serious risk (much like my previous sentence ).

2. Since they have provided an earthing point on the case I'd be tempted to use it, shouldn't be too much effort. Though I'd probably just spark it up and see if anything acted strange.

You'ld have to be pretty close. People with pacemakers can carry mobile phones after all (just not in their shirt pockets).... Those things kick out electrical noise- a TIG welder should be okay!!!

Anyway, the main problem with pacemakers is that they're circular and placed just under the skin... it not uncommon for people with them to fiddle with them- usually in a circular rotating movement. Only trouble is eventually the wire gets wrapped round the pacemaker and if they do it enough the "heart" end of the wire gets pulled out....

Doh!!!

Only other problem occurs when the patient is cremated and the GP signing the crem paper doesn't realise they've got a pacemaker.... You should see how much it costs to clean the furnace (pacemakers have radioactive isotope batteries).

Be careful where you earth the welder body to. Remember that DC TIG is positive to ground so if you have a hard earth on the case make sure the case is nowhere it can touch the workpiece or any metal bench you are working on!

Caber

Is your Mitec still working Caber?

Alex