Me again, more odd behaviour :(

[addjunkie]

I had my last full size bottle probably 4 years, hardly used for 2 of them while I worked away and rebuilt a house at the same time.

 

[Davek0974]

The gas does not settle if used within a normal time frame. I wouldn't say a year is a normal time frame.

So, whats the best option here - smaller cylinders? different gas?

 

[pedrobedro]

You're using a bottle a year. That's your problem right there. The gas is settling out or going above the dew point.

I've got a big 5% cylinder that I connect to when in the shed and it's been stood there over 8 years and still welds fine. It never gets shaken either.

 

[HughF]

Never shaken a bottle, never experienced the settling... sounds to me like you're cooking the contact tips as others have said

 

[Davek0974]

The tip is as clean as it was when fitted. This is not a tip problem, the shroud is also mint.

Its not overheating either - i can and have done many long practice beads without fault and then some days you can do 1" and it will start.

Its not the welder as i have changed machines from R-Tech to ESAB and the behaviour returned.

The only common denominator is - Gas, Me, Electicity, everything else has changed.

 

[Davek0974]

Maybe you’ve got a bad bottle of gas, and you’ve been having the same problem for a year?

That why i am blaming gas - the last time it happened on the R-Tech the bottle was way down so i got a refill and all was well, this one is half done and gone bad again - if i am having to waste 50% go the gas by early refills then a smaller cylinder should help?

 

[Davek0974]

Just an update, been a while.

I still get this fault occasionally - i can tell when its going now and the easy fix is to grab a lump of scrap and run bead until the fault clears - usually in 5 - 10 seconds, then it will not return that day.

Still no idea what it is though but given up worrying about it now. Everything has changed apart from me and the electricity

I did notice after one flare up that the voltage used on the Rebel display was way higher than usual - I think its usually 17-19v and after a flare up it was around 26v.

 

[Davek0974]

Have it back under warranty sounds dodgy to me

Its not the welder, I sold a perfectly good R-Tech Mig 160 because of this fault and bought the Esab - the issue remained!

Different gas, different wire, different machine.

 

[Davek0974]

It’s your power supply then

Its possible, but I would like to know how - I have a good grounding in electronics and power supply and fail to see how it could be that doing this, there is no light dimming, no interference on radio - the plasma cutter uses more power and that runs fine.

Baffling

 

[Davek0974]

Possible, but the plasma is far more sensitive and runs cutting far longer than i run welds for and its not had any issues.

Not easy to monitor without some sort of data logger, interesting though.

 

[Richard.]

Its possible,

You’ve had this problem follow suit with 2 independent welding machines for a number of years and you haven’t tried it on another supply to rule it out????
I still cannot believe it’s an issue after this length of time. Have you actually tried anything to resolve this or are you just hoping a snake falls out of the wire feeder one day and that’s problem sorted. No offence but if it’s not the actual machine then diagnosing the underlining issue could be very easily done in a matter of an hour with process of elimination. Ie supply, gas, torch, you.

 

[Davek0974]

You’ve had this problem follow suit with 2 independent welding machines for a number of years and you haven’t tried it on another supply to rule it out????
I still cannot believe it’s an issue after this length of time. Have you actually tried anything to resolve this or are you just hoping a snake falls out of the wire feeder one day and that’s problem sorted. No offence but if it’s not the actual machine then diagnosing the underlining issue could be very easily done in a matter of an hour with process of elimination. Ie supply, gas, torch, you.

Checked for snakes - all ok

It's not the gas - tried BOC and now on HobbyWeld5.

It's not the torch - two different machines/torches.

I could try elsewhere but it has a 20A plug and being a home workshop there are no other outlets. Its not a regular occurrence and one thing i have noticed is that the more i use it the less it happens. Sometimes i might only make two welds in a fortnight, others it could be every day, very random demand.

It might be air leaking into the system during downtime but I always give it a bit of a purge when i turn on so not sure of that - how long would it take to purge from bottle to tip?

It's an issue but not an important one any more, just baffling now.

 

[arther dailey]

Way Way back(2017?) you said it welded perfect even with reg set at 1 lm rather than the norm,6/8ltm, I suggested then(this might be with your old welder) that if thats the case your regulator is fuba, have you got a new reg since??

 

[dobbslc]

Have you checked all the electrical connections live, neutral, and earth's from the main house D/B through to the.welder outlet?
Could be a loose terminal, I've had this at work when something works fine one minute then goes screwy the next. Worth a check as it might save your house burning down.

 

[Davek0974]

Way Way back(2017?) you said it welded perfect even with reg set at 1 lm rather than the norm,6/8ltm, I suggested then(this might be with your old welder) that if thats the case your regulator is fuba, have you got a new reg since??

Yes, binned the old one.