Co2 questions: regulator, heater, used bottle disposal

[mymini86]

Just wondering if anyone has used this CO2 heater before? How much difference do they make?

My regulator is also playing up, leaking and regulate the gas when it wants to. I am going to get a replacement. What pressure do you use for 0.8mm wire on car body work? Can I use a pub co2 regulator?

I also got two out of test date pub size bottle? Quite old, around 1980's. What can I do with them?

Thanks in advance.

 

[shenion]

You need a regulator with the output calibrated in LPM or (S)CFM not PSI. Then its 10 LPM or 20 SCFM

Heaters are usually not needed on modern gasses (was needed because of water in older CO2 processes.) Only if you are using a lot of CO2 will you need a heater.

 

[backpurge]

You would normally use a heater if you are using CO2 that has a liquid draw off (cylinders usually have a white stripe down them to show they are fitted with dip tubes) as opposed to gaseous, or if your draw off rate was that high that the regulator was freezing up, this is unlikely to happen unless you are running several welders off the same cylinder

If you don't want to buy a proper welding regulator you will need a flowmeter that you put on the end of your gas shroud to initially set your flow rate, they are only a couple of quid and you can get them from most welding equipment suppliers, BOC Gas and Gears etc etc