Gas gauges will not work

[Ratesnotice]

Hello Everybody,
I have a strange issue with my mig welder that I could use some help with.
I have a Unimig Viper 165 and I run an argon/carbon mix 75/25. The gauges I use are dual gauge for argon/carbon.
It is a good welder and has been working fine till recently when the gas gauge indicated that the bottle was empty.
I replaced the bottle and once again the gauge indicated that it was empty.
However it wasn't and I was able to weld without any problems. So I had a full bottle but what appeared to be a non working gauge.
So I replaced the gauge with an old one that I had, same result apparently the bottle was empty!
I thought how unlucky, I have 2 broken gauges.
I purchased a new gauge and installed it.
Guess what? Yes that's right it does not work!!
I don't see how this can be related to the welder but does anyone have any ideas as to why 3 gauges will indicate that a bottle is empty when it isn't?
Who is going to be the first to tell me that I have three broken gauges? LOL.
Thanks for your help.
Ron

 

[Morrisman]

The gauges screw into the regulator body, so all I can imagine is something has blocked up the passageway between the gas bottle and the gauge.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I assume you have a flow meter that has two dial gauges, one for the cylinder pressure and the other to indicate flow in litres per minute (or equivalent).

If you tried several flow meters and on all, the cylinder pressure is zero, the cylinder is either empty of the valve has malfunctioned.

If you replaced the cylinder with a new (full) one and the problem persists, the problem is not the cylinder - therefore there is no problem.

Hmm, a tricky one.

Is there gas in the cylinder? Did you crack it?

Does the flow gauge work properly? That is, if you increase the flow, does it really increase? Does the indicator display the new flow properly?

The cylinder pressure gauge measures the cylinder pressure directly. To display zero, both cylinders are empty or all the flow gauges are broken. Even if the regulator, flow gauge, gas hose and welding machine were all broken - or missing - the cylinder pressure should display. So it is not a machine problem.

I guess I also assumed that the flow gauge is connected directly to the cylinder valve and there is no "adaptor" that could be blocked.

By the way, you must have gone out of your way to find C25.

Jack

 

[voipio]

It has been known for suppliers to stock cylinders with slow leaks on the cylinder valves. Stored for long enough, they end up empty. Most cylinder pressure gauges don't display pressures much below 10-20 Bar, so there may still be sufficient pressure in a cylinder for the regulator to function and deliver usable flows, but not for long. It's worth trying a regulator with known working gauges, or taking your regulator to the supplier, and asking them to try it on a full cylinder.