residual flash from wire if "earthed"

[dan.taylor.1]

Hi folks,

Working for a new customer using his kit, he has a swp 311? Mig, main unit +wire feeder. Every time you put the torch down and the wire touches an "earthed" (machine return not mains earth) it flashes as though there is a residual charge I'm the machine.

Am I right to assume the bleed resistor is either faulty or missing?

Dan

 

[mike 109444]

Or poor choice of value. Or poor connection.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Cheers for the reply but it's a bit vague! Choice of value of what? And which connection (there are a lot in a welder lol!)

 

[Gareth J]

Mine does this. I live with it. Interested to know if it's a simple fix though.

 

[Bill Edwards]

I think he still means the bleed resistor, but as well as being missing or faulty it might be the wrong value so isn't effective enough. Or that it's got a bad connection meaning it can't do anything and is, in effect, disconnected.

 

[Kent]

Hi folks,

Working for a new customer using his kit, he has a swp 311? Mig, main unit +wire feeder. Every time you put the torch down and the wire touches an "earthed" (machine return not mains earth) it flashes as though there is a residual charge I'm the machine.

Am I right to assume the bleed resistor is either faulty or missing?

Dan

Perhaps it always wanted to be a stick welder? either way I should want it looked at! Only big shock I have ever had came from using an ill serviced plant a farmer had, nervous of other peoples gear ever since.

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Ah I see. Yep could be. I've threatened to strip it and have a look, had to fix the gas pipes yesterday as they leaked due to shoddy jubilee clips, used some crimp on o clips with the two lugs you crimp and its now sorted. I actually prefer the swp to his kemmpi which I can't seem to use without it sticking the wire to the tip!!

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Kent yeah I know what you mean. It does it once then it's fine till the trigger is pulled again so I reckon bleed resistor issue is bang on and its charge in the amooting caps that's causing it.

 

[roofman]

ive got the same with one of my welders,Giant 250A. I believe after asking loads of questions everywhere when i bought it a few years ago it was a Cap not bleeding off. Its a bl00dy pain iff the truths known as sometimes it sticks the wire to the bench

 

[Kent]

Kent yeah I know what you mean. It does it once then it's fine till the trigger is pulled again so I reckon bleed resistor issue is bang on and its charge in the amooting caps that's causing it.

Sometimes especially on machines lacking proper ongoing servicing one problem that surfaces just shows its time for a good check over on everything.

 

[normspanners]

Should be easy to spot it should be across one or more BFC's

but it might have a built in resistor that's gone OC
some oil filled caps have built in bleeds but it should tell you on the tin.