Important Safety Tip.........

[lorenzo]

A good thing about Americans is they tend to simplify things.

I mean car pedals on older US cars use to say 'GAS' and 'STOP' on some models I think. Thats just priceless.

Oh and I couldn't live without my coke and pepsi and where would our cinemas and TV channels be without our friends across the pond.

If they said stop and gas I don't remember seeing it but then again I always drive with my eyes on the road and not on my feet That's how accidents happen.
You bet Americans simplify things..... if those pedals were in todays cars, stop and gas would be imprinted in 50 different languages... so you wouldn't have to learn ours. Hell...... we'll even print election ballots in any tounge you can think of... What's that?.... you can't vote here because you're not a citizen? That's just red tape........... there are plenty of politicians who think that illegal aliens should be able to vote......... oooops I'm sorry, they're not illegal aliens.... they are TEMPORARY GUEST WORKERS.

You bet Americans have simplified everything.......... for everyone but the Americans.

 

[weldequip]

in 50 different languages... so you wouldn't have to learn ours.

Err... don't you mean OURS!
weldequip

 

[Hemi]

Leak Testing

I`m not one to get involved in a discussion about which i don`t know a lot. I`ve only just aquired my mig and at the moment my work leaves a lot to be desired, but re. the argument about what to use for leak testing, a long time ago i worked as a fitters mate installing commercial heating and ventilation and the fitters always checked the bottles, oxy. and acet. with a drop of weak soapy water, there was nought else to use. Whilst you can`t get away from the fact that the right combo. of the ingredients will cause an explosion surely wiping a finger of soapy water can do no harm ?

 

[tigler]

The issue with oxygen causing explosions when in combination with certain substances is very real. Basically oxygen is an oxidiser , logical enough !! So when there is another substance present that can burn , and that can be almost anything , add a source of ignition and you have a big bang !! It's the fire triangle , oxygen , heat , fuel , if all three are present watch out !! Remove any one and your safe.
We used to have a family company that sold & distributed industrial hose and had a contract with various steel companies to supply high pressure oxygen hose used for scouring steel as it came from the ingot line. Oxygen was blasted at high pressure at the surface of the steel to remove scale and impurities. This is a potentially very dangerous process. The hose had to be supplied with a certificate to state that the bore had been completely cleaned of any manufacturing residue or particulate substances. This made the hose VERY expensive due to the procedure for cleaning and the degree of handling , monitoring and testing. We are talking a 2" i.d. hose with steel ply reinforcement and a working pressure of 600 PSI supplied in 200 FT lengths !!
Many companies were always after this business and constantly told the customer that our price was ridiculous , he was always on the phone mentioning who had been in recently to undercut our price. My response was always a simple question , "have you ever had a failure or accident with our hose and what are the consequences of such an accident ?"
One day he called to say that his boss had gone over his head and placed a trial order with a competitor for some of this hose priced 40% below ours. I said fine , make sure you get a signed letter from him to exonorate you from any responsibilty in the event of an accident involving death , serious injury or damage to plant. He did , and a good job he did so. I was called down about 2 months later to identify our product from the competitors as that company was disputing a major accident had not been caused by their product. Well it had , our hose was readily identifiable and had not been on this particular line when it occured.
Virtually every window and steel panel had been blown out of a building over 300 mtrs long by 220mtrs wide , 2 workers were on the critical list with serious injuries and 12 other workers were badly injured , some would be off work for weeks. Many others received minor injuries. The workers on the critical list survived but one could never work again and the other never went back to the steel mill.
Basically , the hose had not been cleaned properly and the supplier could not show supporting documentation to prove that the certificate of compliance they issued was valid !! Let me just say heads rolled , jobs were lost and the courts were busy !!
The scene I saw was like the aftermath of a bomb blast. Chilled me to the bone !

 

[zxr400]

There is a liquid leak detector we use in aerospace pneumatics called Snoop. It's made by swagelok, and is oxygen safe.

Website is HERE

Hope this helps,

Cheers,

Mark

 

[brightspark]

most of the oxygen bottles ive had from boc have had a slight leak from the neck . my safe and easy way is spit in it at the depot . if it bubbles refuse it get another

 

[backpurge]

Yeh but BOC SELL leak detecting products


Justme

Nowt to do with that, BCGA clearly states to use correct leak detection fluid, soapy water isn't correct leak detection fluid.

As has been stated, something like Snoop is by far the best option

 

[metalmicky]

I concur with 'tigler', I work offshore and amongst other things transfer O2 and rebuild the pumps (up to 280Bar) We allways check that hose for O2 use is just that and comes certed up, recently a lot of counterfeit stuff coming from the far east has been finding its way into reputable suppliers, its a major problem.

On the leak detection thing then just go and buy a bottle of snoop, job done , no more problems

Mike

 

[Tigman]

So its you thats spits on all the bottles , Its not you with the chewing gum under the bus seats aswell is it ?

 

[brightspark]

So its you thats spits on all the bottles , Its not you with the chewing gum under the bus seats aswell is it ?

not guilty on that score . not been on a bus in 20 years