One for the welders. Exploded regulator!

[Z-linkCobra]

Argon is an inert gas and non flammable. Oil would not have caused an explosin with argon. Oxygen on the other hand...yeah....basicly with oil in an oxygen regulator you have created a small deisel engine hanging on the side of a bottle.

Probably the spring had coroded a little in the regulator and when you hit it with 1400 psi from the bottle it broke. Sending 1400 psi into the low side valveing. Before you fire back up you might want to check your low side hose going into your welder...could have blown that off or up when it all failed. Also check your solenoid valve on your welder.

I never stand in front of a regulator when I turn a bottle on. I have seen the stem shoot out of an oxygen regulator before and punch a hole right thru the shop wall. Scary stuff.

I dont rent my bottles. Buy the bottle outright. You pay more up front but then its just gas charge after that. I dont know what size my bottle of argon is but the bottles about 4' tall +/-. When i get it exchanged it runs me about 30 dollars because i own the bottle.

Gene

[andyl]

Originally Posted by Z-linkCobra

Argon is an inert gas and non flammable. Oil would not have caused an explosin with argon. Oxygen on the other hand...yeah....basicly with oil in an oxygen regulator you have created a small deisel engine hanging on the side of a bottle.

I know what you are saying re argon but there would be some amount of air trapped inside the valve first time after a change too which might be pushed through the valve. I know if you oil an oxygen bottle you've got a very very big 'kaboom', but I thought there might be enough air in this case to fuel the explosion of the valve alone. I for one wont be experimenting to find out

[Jac Mac]

Originally Posted by Z-linkCobra

I dont rent my bottles. Buy the bottle outright. You pay more up front but then its just gas charge after that. I dont know what size my bottle of argon is but the bottles about 4' tall +/-. When i get it exchanged it runs me about 30 dollars because i own the bottle.

Gene

That might work in the USA where you have companies competing for business, but down under in Australia & NZ where BOC have a virtual monopoly on gas supply owning your own bottles is discouraged to say the least, If you do they seem to go out of the way to make life difficult, by loseing the bottle for a few days, or claiming that 'your' bottle needs a safety check virtually every time you refill..... just keep making life hard for you, I spend 3 times on bottle rental what I use in actual gas per annum...damn crazy just for the sake of being able to heat or weld anything..

[Zedn]

I dont think oil was the issue. Looks to be a really cheap casting. It was the 2 guage type with the 't' handle. It broke around the top of the thread that holds the diagram on and also where the T handle screws in. Was a clean break and looks to be a crappy casting, i guess it has just become brittle over time.

Rob,

I have my own D size bottle that a friend will be filling for me in the future, but at the moment his hose that he uses is broken so i rented this one from BOC. It was about $100 for D plus $13 per month rental. I am building my fuel tank at the moment so this bottle should get that job finished.

There is another company that competes with BOC, they are called supergas. I was told it was set up by an ex BOC person. My mate who will be filling my bottle for me next time, pays $75 for the big bottle that is about 6ft tall through supagas.

http://www.supagas.net.au/browse1.htm

The guy on ebay that Boxhead linked appears to be cheaper than BOC once you have the bottle.


Jamie,

no didnt get those trusty bricks. Shot straight up and nearly went through the floor under my wife watching TV above.

[Ronbo]

The rubber in the seat valve dry rotted and failed...

There's a small relief point in the diaphram that normally should pop or a relief valve on the side of the regulator body. In your case it sounds like you had a relief valve and it also siezed. Very rare to see a regulator bell blow off like that.

As mentioned before, no danger with inert gases and oil, just oxygen.

I used to repair welding equipment many years ago.