Nearly finished - then welder died! Heeeelp!

[Surfwagon]

Just getting to the finishing touches on my massive sill repair job, and my Ferm 150 has died! The fan is spinning, but the trigger has no effect on anything.
Could anyone give me some emergency advice?
Anything obvious things to check? I've cleaned up the handset switch terminals already.

 

[rtbcomp]

Check for blown fuses inside - disconnect from the mains first.

If it's fitted with a Eurotorch short the switch contacts in the socket.

 

[Surfwagon]

Thanks mate.
I have checked the one fuse I can find, and it's good.
It's just a basic mini Mig, so no Euro socket.
The wire feed motor is doing nothing - but I should try flashing the torch tip against the earth clamp to see if it is still active or not ...
If it's just the wire feed motor - is replacement the only possible fix?

 

[rtbcomp]

If it's only the wire feed it could be the motor, but statistically it's more likely to be speed control circuit.

If the flash test doesn't work you could try flipping the power switches a few times, sometimes they develop high resistance due to dirt.

 

[skotl]

A few months ago, my welder "died" with the same symptoms. I came in here to write it up on here, went back out and tried it and it was fine.
I put it down to me doing much more welding in one go than I'd ever done previously (probably about 3 hours straight, which is a record for me) so put it down to a duty-cycle / thermal cutout.

So yours might be working again now...

 

[Surfwagon]

So yours might be working again now...[/QUOTE]

Good thinking! ( :
I've just tried it after a few hours rest, but still kaput. . .

 

[Surfwagon]

If it's only the wire feed it could be the motor, but statistically it's more likely to be speed control circuit.

If the flash test doesn't work you could try flipping the power switches a few times, sometimes they develop high resistance due to dirt.

I have just tested the torch for current. There's nothing, BUT I have found a little clicking coming from this relay(?).
So there's power at least somewhere in there!
Worth replacing this relay perhaps?

Ps.If it's any diagnostical use - at the time it failed, I picked up the torch to weld, and nothing worked. I tried again and it worked, then tried again seconds later and it had packed up again, this time permanently.

 

[the snooper]

I have just tested the torch for current. There's nothing, BUT I have found a little clicking coming from this relay(?).
So there's power at least somewhere in there!
Worth replacing this relay perhaps?

Ps.If it's any diagnostical use - at the time it failed, I picked up the torch to weld, and nothing worked. I tried again and it worked, then tried again seconds later and it had packed up again, this time permanently.

check there is mains power going in and out of the relay, the contacts do tend to burn out sooner or later

 

[Surfwagon]

Got it!
Took the lid off the tiny relay - and it wasn't throwing far enough to make contact.
Tweaked the contacts a little to take up the slack - and we're back in business! YAY!
Just need to find a new relay before this one dies completely.
Thanks to all for your assistance when I was in the Slough of Despond. ( :

 

[rtbcomp]

Great! I know what you mean - I've been to Slough.