Low Oxygen or Regulator Problem?

[tom_sprecher]

Saturday I was heating up the foot pegs on my 3-wheeler in order to bend them back straight and the flame on my oxy/acetylene kept going rich and I would have to adjust it every once in a while. Also, I could not turn the flame up as high as I would have liked due to insufficent oxygen pressure.

Later, I went to cut some plate and while setting up the pressures I would hit the oxygen lever and gas would come out at the proper rate (by sound) but it would quickly drop down to a whisper and the pressure would drop to zero. When I let off the lever the presure would build back up to 10-15 psi. Also, when I shut the tank valve for the oxygen and bleed off the presuure in the regulator the tank pressure gage still shows 800 psi unless I keep the oxygen on at the torch and then it slowly bleeds down.

It would seem like I do not have any oxygen left except the tank pressure gage reads 800 psi. It is a Harris 2-stage regulator. Any ideas? Otherwise I'll swap out the tank and see if that helps.

Thanks,

[Gary L]

Originally posted by tom_sprecher@Dec 6 2005, 12:10 AM
Any ideas? Otherwise I'll swap out the tank and see if that helps.

Thanks,

[snapback]67400[/snapback]

Sure sounds like an empty (or near empty) bottle, but I can't explain the 800 psi residual pressure either. It's been so damned long since I had to swap out bottles, I don't remember what was showing on the unregulated guage when it went empty the last time (prolly 4 or 5 years ago). I do know that mine was showing 1500 psi or better when I used it last month. IIRC, it is around 2000 psi when full.

Gary L.

[AntonioGG]

Yeah it sounds like a low O2 bottle to me too. Have you tapped the regulator gauge to make sure it's not stuck?

[lateapex911]

OK, I really don't know.....as I don't have a gas setup (MIG here)
But, LOL, IF there really IS 800PSI in the oxy tank...then it seems to me that there is another problem.

800PSI is a bunch of volume crammed in tere.

Just a WAG...

[MMiskoe]

800 PSI is plenty, however, if the gauge is faulty, you might not have nearly that much.

If you shut off the valve at the tank, then just crack the valve at the torch to let it bleed off, the HP gauge should drop to zero very fast whereas the low pressure gauge should drop to zero slowly.

You mentioned 10-15psi. This would be high on the acetelyne which should be around 7psi but way low on the oxygen. For most stuff, 40psi is a good place for the oxygen, unless you're cutting something 1" or thicker, then you need to crank it right up (like 60-80), but I doubt jobs like that come up much for an IT car.

I'd check the HP gauge.

Also if the torch has been sitting for a long time, sometimes it will bleed off all the gas in the hose it requireing you to purge the lines before it will burn right. But that doesn't sound applicable here since it happened twice.