At school: Acetylene reg fluctuates working pressure

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For the first time in the 15 years I have been around/using a torch, something seems odd. The acetylene regulator is fluctuating. Tremendously. Without purging the torch, you can set working pressure to 7psi. As soon as the torch's acet valve is open, working pressure shoots down to 2psi. Reset the working pressure to 7 with torch open and as soon as you close it, it shoots up to between 13 and 15psi. It is an Esab Oxweld regulator.To be honest, it doesn't particularly scare me but it does confuse the snot out of me. Out of everyone in the class, only one other student, myself, and the teacher have any considerable experience with the torch. The three of us find this truly odd. Being school equipment, I wonder if we should just get it fixed before another student makes a stupid mistake and hurts themself. What could cause a problem like this anyway?
Reply:Is it a two stage regulator?
Reply:Hello Rivershark2005, we had a similar problem at our school a number of years ago. Ours was related to our manifold system. After many years of having various flashbacks occuring and other issues associated with new folks getting used to the proper and improper way to use oxy-acetylene equipment, the lines supplying our regulators in the shop were extremely sooted-up. We have 4 bottles manifolded together outside of our shop, they feed into a single two stage regulator that reduces the pressure supplied to the welding stations inside of the shop. Each of the booths in the shop has an additional regulator to further reduce the pressures as required when using different size tips. The main supply line that comes from the outside regulator and branches off to supply the various booths had sooted-up and the soot had finally gotten bad enough that it compromised the regulators as well. If you are using a manifold system this could possibly be what is happening in your case as well. Talk this over with your instructor and maybe he/she can have your local welding supplier send someone out to do an inspection on the system; In our case we had to have the system opened up, cleaned, the regulators rebuilt, and then reassembled and purged before putting it back into servicel Hope this might help. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:I could make a good guess or two about the details of your problem but if you're not qualified to do the repairs, it wouldn't help much. Particularly in a school setting with 'new' weldors, that kind of problem is annoying at best, and dangerous at worst so I'd say the regulator should be examined and fixed by an appropriate technician. All the shops I visit don't even look at those things anymore; they all send them out for repairs.
Reply:It's not right AND it's dangerous.Since it is not a DIY situation, ... Tag that equipment Out-Of-Service and get it fixed.  Pronto.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:i think the regulator is shot.  I'd get that repaired before i use the Acet.
Reply:We're going to send it to a repairman this week. It is a brand-spanking-new (I pulled it out of the plastic) regulator. It just seemed odd to me, so I knew I should ask. It's been ten years since I have operated any oxy/fuel setup, so I was stumped. I have never even heard of something like this. Anyway, thanks everyone for the help!