Oxford RT110 Arc Welder Issues

[Austen]

So I’ve had an old Oxford welder for a few years and recently started using it more frequently and it’s been getting right on my nerves!

It began tripping out the RCD at home so I had it put onto its own 32A circuit on an RCD Socket, somehow after about 20 minutes of welding it still trips out.

Every single time regardless it just trips out, and gets more and more frequent the more I weld. Today it even tripped out when I wasn’t welding, it was just plugged in!

I’m lucky if I can weld for more than 10 minutes straight! Can anyone suggest any help or advice, it’s a great old machine but doesn’t live up to all the hype of them being reliable and able to weld all day

 

[zzr1200]

Is the oil at the correct level?

 

[gaz1]

heres a look inside

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/arc-welder-oxford-model-rt110.51630/

 

[brightspark]

really you need to test the welder for earth leakage with an insulation tester .if its showing a fault to earth it could be either the coil windings are down or water in the oil taking the top off and testing is the only way .if the windings are down its scrap it time

 

[Austen]

Thanks for all your responses. I haven’t checked the oil but that’s the first thing I’ll do next.

I’ll get the welder earth tested too, good shout!

 

[brightspark]

the oil should be clean and wont need replacing just check . its only transformer oil but its bloody expensive there only filled below half way so don't think it has disappeared and needs topping up

 

[Austen]

the oil should be clean and wont need replacing just check . its only transformer oil but its bloody expensive there only filled below half way so don't think it has disappeared and needs topping up

Just saw you wrote that on the link someone posted about on a different thread (:

I’ll get that checked and also try and find an electrician to earth test it correctly. Hopefully that would explain why it keeps tripping all the time.

 

[Austen]

really you need to test the welder for earth leakage with an insulation tester .if its showing a fault to earth it could be either the coil windings are down or water in the oil taking the top off and testing is the only way .if the windings are down its scrap it time

Quick question, when you say cool windings are down do you mean damaged or failed?

Also to preform these earth leakage tests does it just require the top to come off or the entire thing taken apart like the photos on the link a few posts above? Thanks!

 

[brightspark]

coil insulation braking down and leaking to earth. also check the supply lead .the transformer is bolted to the lid so its very heavy to lift out then get it insulation tested

 

[Austen]

coil insulation braking down and leaking to earth. also check the supply lead .the transformer is bolted to the lid so its very heavy to lift out then get it insulation tested

Great thanks for the information

 

[gaz1]

one other thing it should be fine on 13 amp and 16 amp blue socket with its own fuse rating

32a is a little high

 

[Austen]

Brought another one, RT110B instead of RT110. Got it home and welded for over an hour, exact same setup as before and it didn’t trip once so finders crosses this ones a keeping.

I’m going to scrap the old one and strip it so I might find that fault inside maybe. Thanks for all the help and advice!

 

[gaz1]

check the oil they are heavy for a reason i have the 110b was getting warm so im checking oil next before i use it again

nice machine though

 

[Austen]

check the oil they are heavy for a reason i have the 110b was getting warm so im checking oil next before i use it again

nice machine though

I will do, if the oil is ok I might use it for spare for my replacement due to it being so expensive and I can’t scrap it unless it’s oil free.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Brought another one, RT110B instead of RT110. Got it home and welded for over an hour, exact same setup as before and it didn’t trip once so finders crosses this ones a keeping.

I’m going to scrap the old one and strip it so I might find that fault inside maybe. Thanks for all the help and advice!

Just reading through this post, before you scrap the other one can you confirm if it was tripping an RCD or just the MCB.
At one time I had two of them, externally they looked identical but one would trip a C20 or a B32 regularly the other was fine, I guess over the years the winding designs may have been tweaked to reduce the inrush.

 

[Austen]

Just reading through this post, before you scrap the other one can you confirm if it was tripping an RCD or just the MCB.
At one time I had two of them, externally they looked identical but one would trip a C20 or a B32 regularly the other was fine, I guess over the years the winding designs may have been tweaked to reduce the inrush.

Initially it was tripping a RCD protected B32 MCB, not the MCB just the RCD. Since I’ve changed the socket, it always trips the RCD socket and never the non-RCD protected B32 MCB.

Hope that makes sense?