Tig cooler

[dazza]

Yes that is different. I would run it without the torch first and back the pressure down a bit.

 

[Hood]

Just watched a vid of a guy dismantling one similar to mine, couldn't understand a word of what he was saying as I think he was Chinese Looks like I can unscrew the relief screw fully and it will not be possible to go too far, so that is a relief (no pun intended )

 

[Richard.]

The screw should not move if the nut is tightened up. Thats the whole idea as it locks the screw in place. Or it was always that way on the ones I've used.
You can damage them if you take the pressure right off this is why procon suggest you don't adjust it. They sell the pumps pre set depending on what you have bought it for but it's not difficult so you can set it yourself but like I say stick your pipe on it, get it running and reduce the pressure low enough so it won't over pressure your torch. Then fit the torch to it and set your pressure up properly. This is how I would do it but how you do it is up to you.

 

[Hood]

I think mine must be different from yours, the screw can not be locked by the nut as you can see in the pic below where I have the screw removed fully but the actual relief valve is still held in place.

 

[Richard.]

It does look similar to ones I've used. Perhaps it is different. I've always remembered the outer nut locking the adjuster and the one I have now is like dazzas where the adjuster is actually behind the nut.
They all have a relief valve but I just don't trust it. I've seen and rebuilt too many in bad states due to been run dry and as reliable as they are you don't get a second chance with them.
Good luck with it. It's a cracking pump and will serve your new torch vey well

 

[HughF]

@Richard. whereabouts would I go about sourcing procon/roto-flo rebuild kits from? I have an old roto-flo that was being used for lpg transfer in a former life. If parts are cheap enough then I might have a look at sticking new guts in it.

 

[Richard.]

@Richard. whereabouts would I go about sourcing procon/roto-flo rebuild kits from? I have an old roto-flo that was being used for lpg transfer in a former life. If parts are cheap enough then I might have a look at sticking new guts in it.

Ummmmmm good Q.
Last ones I got were off an engineer and he just gave me a load of graphite parts and vanes. I'll have a look for ya.

 

[Hood]

Well just got the pump hooked up to the tank and torch and looks like my fears, talked about in another thread where I said it would be good to try a bought cooler before I spent more money on other pumps, have been realised.
First thing was I had the valve set where it initially was, pressure gauge went off scale (120PSI) and the motor stalled, took the torch out of the system and just ran through 6mm bore pipe and all was well but didn't know pressure as that too was out of the setup now.
Next I put it back the way it was but screwed the valve well out and it started but was at 100psi so unscrewed until the gauge was sitting at 55psi, measured the flow and it was 400ml/min
Turned it to 60psi and it is just under 500ml/min.

Not sure where to go from here as obviously the procon is fine, the Chinese pump was fine and the central heating pump was almost as good.
I have not had a reply from Parweld when I asked what the max pressure and minimum flowrate should be so I have nothing to go on there.

 

[dazza]

Could it be your fancy connectors? What flow are you getting though the 6mm pipe without the torch connected? I have a parweld torch also.

 

[Hood]

I think it much more likely it is the torch but can't be 100% certain yet. Other people use the Quick Release fittings so it is unlikely them but I will see if I can find a way to hook it up without them later on, might not manage though as I am at home and do not have access to my lathe or other fittings.
I have just tried flow through the 6mm ID pipe, I fitted things up with the pressure gauge still in the loop and the pressure was 30 psi where when connected to the torch was 60psi. Flowrate was 2L in about 15 seconds so that would equate to about 8L/min.

So to me it looks like the torch is the culprit.
Also likely the Chinese pump would have been fine.
Also looks like even the central heating pump may have been adequate although obviously not as good as the Chinese and no where as good as the Procon.

 

[Richard.]

I think it much more likely it is the torch but can't be 100% certain yet. Other people use the Quick Release fittings so it is unlikely them but I will see if I can find a way to hook it up without them later on, might not manage though as I am at home and do not have access to my lathe or other fittings.
I have just tried flow through the 6mm ID pipe, I fitted things up with the pressure gauge still in the loop and the pressure was 30 psi where when connected to the torch was 60psi. Flowrate was 2L in about 15 seconds so that would equate to about 8L/min.

So to me it looks like the torch is the culprit.
Also likely the Chinese pump would have been fine.
Also looks like even the central heating pump may have been adequate although obviously not as good as the Chinese and no where as good as the Procon.

Pics please hood of your connections. Now it's rare but sometimes there can be a bur in the head water jacket causing a blockage.
Reverse the torch lines and blow it through backwards then put them back the right way round. This could clear a small blockage.

 

[Hood]

Just tried with the QC out of the equation, well the female side anyway, the male sides definitely are not the issue as they are as big, if not bigger bore than the original 3/8 fittings that came on the torch. Exactly the same 60psi and 400ml/min
Will try the torch lines round the other way in a few mins to see if that makes a difference.

 

[Hood]

Ok reversed the lines with one QC in line and PSI dropped to 55 rather than the previous 60PSI and flowrate tripled to 1.2L/min, reversed them back and same again, working like it should 55PSI with 1.2L/min
There was a wee hairy thing in the jug that had got pushed out when the lines were reversed, just looked at it and it was metallic covered in fibres. Pulled off the fibres but it was silver and not copper as I was expecting. Looked at it under a magnifying glass and it looked like solder so just fired up the solder iron and it didn't melt so not solder unless they use silver solder on the torches? Possibly it is a bit of Alu from the tank but thinking that unlikely as I flushed the tank out several times before the initial test with the central heating pump.

Anyway looks like the problem has been solved thanks to your suggestion Richard, hopefully it will be fine from now on but at least the pressure gauge should alert me to further issues.

 

[Hood]

I have been testing the extremely cheap Temp gauges I bought, have all 5 of them sitting here and they are all within 0.4 degrees of each other, one at 16.7 degrees, two sitting at 16.8, 1 at 17 and the last at 17.1 so they seem to at least tally with one another and likely are about right.
Should be fine for my needs as in reality +/- 5 degrees would be ok I would think.

 

[Brad93]

Richard is full of knowledge, saved some hassle there!

 

[dazza]

I have been testing the extremely cheap Temp gauges I bought, have all 5 of them sitting here and they are all within 0.4 degrees of each other, one at 16.7 degrees, two sitting at 16.8, 1 at 17 and the last at 17.1 so they seem to at least tally with one another and likely are about right.
Should be fine for my needs as in reality +/- 5 degrees would be ok I would think.

I've been messing with the pressure sensor and flow sensor today, don't know if i can be bothered they are all wired up ready to go problem is the fittings, the pressure sensor is 1/8 npt and the flow sensor is 1/2 npt. Would like the flow sensor directly after the quick release return from torch and the pressure sensor T'd off the pump or before the quick release out to torch.

 

[Richard.]

It's rare like I say but some times the water jacket in the head can be a stop point for a tiny foreign body to get jammed. When you reverse it round you simply push it out the way it got in. Looks like that's all you had. 1.2 lpm is a nice rate. glad it's sorted

 

[Hood]

Certainly seems fine now so glad you suggested it

 

[Brad93]

55psi 1.2lpm you're bang on the figures there

 

[Hood]

I've been messing with the pressure sensor and flow sensor today, don't know if i can be bothered they are all wired up ready to go problem is the fittings, the pressure sensor is 1/8 npt and the flow sensor is 1/2 npt. Would like the flow sensor directly after the quick release return from torch and the pressure sensor T'd off the pump or before the quick release out to torch.

Things like that are easy if you have a lathe as you can quickly make up adapters etc, without a lathe then you really need to try and find fittings that will suit. Suppose if you had the correct size taps you could just drill something like a lump of delrin and insert suitable fittings for your torch return and have the sensor screwed in.