Watercooler Piping

[Maker]

I just stripped down and cleaned my new (Well, new to me) TIG cooler but I can't remember which way round the hoses went.

Should water from the tank flow through the radiator to the torch or should it go through the torch then the radiator, or does it not matter?

 

[mr migwire]

torch, rad, tank, pump,

 

[Maker]

Thanks.

 

[Richard.]

I just stripped down and cleaned my new (Well, new to me) TIG cooler but I can't remember which way round the hoses went.

Should water from the tank flow through the radiator to the torch or should it go through the torch then the radiator, or does it not matter?

I always thought it mattered but having stripped many of them down and found it hooked up both ways I guess it works either way.
In my mind (which is the way I build them too) the heat should be exchanged on the return. So hot water coming back to the cooler would go through the exchanger before its sent to the tank.

 

[Maker]

I always thought it mattered but having stripped many of them down and found it hooked up both ways I guess it works either way.
In my mind (which is the way I build them too) the heat should be exchanged on the return. So hot water coming back to the cooler would go through the exchanger before its sent to the tank.

You can justify both ways round; having the rad on the return line will give the biggest temperature difference across it, which will cool the water more efficiently, but having the rad before the torch will give the coldest possible water to the torch.

I was expecting to get a few concurrent answers and I could put it all back together tomorrow but curiosity has gotten the better of me and I'm gonna have to do an experiment.

 

[graffian]

Mine just has a tank.

 

[Brad93]

Radiator after torch you don't want the ambient temperature in the tank getting too high, imo having the radiator after the tank wouldn't cool the water enough before it goes and gets heated again.
The difference is probably negligible unless you're welding 200amps plus all day though.

 

[Richard.]

Radiator after torch you don't want the ambient temperature in the tank getting too high, imo having the radiator after the tank wouldn't cool the water enough before it goes and gets heated again.
The difference is probably negligible unless you're welding 200amps plus all day though.

The thermal arc cooler I had was originally hooked up rad before outgoing which I found strange but that's how they built it because the exchanger was part of the damper too which needs to be before the torch to soften the pulses going down the torch. The cooler is rated to keep the torch cool beyond 300 amps. When I built yours Brad I put 2 accumulators on it to do the same job.

 

[Maker]

I had an epiphany and got the old hoses out the bin, they went tank-pump-rad-torch so thats how the new hoses are. Can't test it though as it blew the 5A fuse in my test block and I've got no 13A ones. I plugged it in a couple of days ago without water (I know you shouldn't but it was for barely a second and its not a graphite vane style pump) in and it worked so I'm hoping it's a higher inrush current now there's water in it.

 

[WorkshopChris]

Is it definitely 240v or 110v some of the cooler sockets on machines are 110v.

 

[Richard.]

Is it definitely 240v or 110v some of the cooler sockets on machines are 110v.

Some of the ewm coolers want 400 v to get em going.

 

[Richard.]

I had an epiphany and got the old hoses out the bin, they went tank-pump-rad-torch so thats how the new hoses are. Can't test it though as it blew the 5A fuse in my test block and I've got no 13A ones. I plugged it in a couple of days ago without water (I know you shouldn't but it was for barely a second and its not a graphite vane style pump) in and it worked so I'm hoping it's a higher inrush current now there's water in it.

Naughty boy. Those graphite vanes don't like been run dry. Even a few seconds is enough to cook em.

 

[Maker]

Is it definitely 240v or 110v some of the cooler sockets on machines are 110v.

It says 220 on the side of the motor.

Naughty boy. Those graphite vanes don't like been run dry. Even a few seconds is enough to cook em.

Read the post again, not a sliding vane pump, it's the same type as used for central heating (Not sure what they're called).

 

[Richard.]

It says 220 on the side of the motor.

Read the post again, not a sliding vane pump, it's the same type as used for central heating (Not sure what they're called).

Ah yes. Sorry maker I didn't see the "not"
Here's me thinking you were running a rotary vane pump dry.