Purge gun line at days end?

[vanagon nut]

Hi all.

Is it a pointless (or bad habit) to purge the gun line at the end of the work day?

Or should this be done?

When I'm done for the day, I close tank valve and reg, release wire roller tension, turn it on, and press trigger.

Thanks,

Neil.

 

[matt1978]

It may help by taking the pressure off the internal gas solenoid, but I don't think it makes a great deal of difference, its more important to purge some gas through in the morning before welding with the machine

 

[Hitch]

You are supposed to drain it down when you've finished, i think the main reason is to reduce pressure on the regulator, thats about it.

Turn off bottle, wind out the regulator, pull trigger/ press button to escape remaining gas.

But as Matt mentioned, purge it before you start.
Especially if your running long hoses. Many industrial machines have a switch/button for this purpose.

The only time i bother is if its going to be sat around for sometime, like christmas break. Day to day, just turn off the bottle.

 

[vanagon nut]

Thanks Hitch and Matt1978.

I figured it was good to release pressure of regulator when MIG idle.

Obviously I'm a beginner (as evidenced by the hole I just burned.... and am forced to patch! ) and sometimes don't use my MIG for weeks, so I'm in the habit of shutting things down completely.

Great tip about purging before first welds of the day.

Thanks for the help,

Neil.