C-25 bottle Question - how to know when empty

admin

Good morning all,I think I am at the end of my first tank, but something is puzzling me.I have a tall bottle (80 I think).  I have had it for a couple of years.  I don't do much welding, only when needed.  I needed it yesterday and when I was welding I noticed my messy weld.  After looking at the tank, my tank pressure gauge was zero, but my flow gauge was registering.  I can turn the flow gauge so that it reads all the way to the right, but still nothing on the tank pressure gauge.  I swapped out gauges and still same reading.  When I had the gauges off, I opened the valve on the tank and I heard gas or whatever coming out.  Being my first tank, I am assuming the tank is empty, but why does the flow gauge register pressure?Tanks  (like the pun)Bob
Reply:The gauge may not be accurate. When the gas runs out the weld will be very porous.Turn the gas off and run a short weld to see what a gasless weld looks like.Last edited by triptester; 01-16-2011 at 10:12 AM.
Reply:I too, would go with a faulty gauge. My brand new Victor O/A setup does the same thing, as soon as 02 pressure drops below 400 psi, the needle on the gauge reads at zero. The only way that i know when i am out of o2, is when my flame starts adjusting itself, and then goes to pure acetylene.[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:Is this MIG or TiIG?  Was the flowmeter registering full flow, or just some flow, and what type meter is it; one with a floating ball or the gauge with a needle (actually a flowgauge)?Can you actually detect gas coming out of the torch when it should? Could you be having a problem with a kinked hose or bad solenoid and be assuming the tank is the problem?If the high pressure gauge reads to 3 or 4000 psi, then 50 psi may not move the needle far enough for you to see, so the tank appears "empty". If you have no blockage in the lines or torch, that still should be putting out enough volume to the torch to do the job. If the pressure is closer to zero but a needle is stuck on a flowgauge, little of no gas should escape from the torch. You need to do some tests to determine what the situation is.
Reply:I would agree. Basically you still have near 40 psi left in the tank to make the flow meter show a 40 psi flow rate. The tank gauge normally shows empty just before the flow gauge drops. That is normal. One way I test at work to see if the tank gauge is defective is, crack the bottle valve open. If the tank still has lots of pressure it will be fast and loud. If the tank is almost done, it will be not nearly as much noise and will be a slower hiss.An dof course, dont open it in your face.... thats a given I know... but have seem pretty stupid people do that in the past. One guy cracked the value straight into another guys ear as the guy was walking by. Luckily he only lost his hearing in the one ear for a couple of days. The other guy was not so lucky, he lost his job for being unsafe.Last edited by oxygen454; 01-16-2011 at 04:46 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Oldiron2Is this MIG or TiIG?  Was the flowmeter registering full flow, or just some flow, and what type meter is it; one with a floating ball or the gauge with a needle (actually a flowgauge)?Can you actually detect gas coming out of the torch when it should? Could you be having a problem with a kinked hose or bad solenoid and be assuming the tank is the problem?If the high pressure gauge reads to 3 or 4000 psi, then 50 psi may not move the needle far enough for you to see, so the tank appears "empty". If you have no blockage in the lines or torch, that still should be putting out enough volume to the torch to do the job. If the pressure is closer to zero but a needle is stuck on a flowgauge, little of no gas should escape from the torch. You need to do some tests to determine what the situation is.
Reply:You can't smell mig gas. Take the bottle back and get a refill/replacement, it's empty.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Weld until the gas stops flowing.  I usually can weld a full roll cage on an "empty" tankThink about it - A 2" dial gauge that tops out at 3000lbs or more!   Just how accurate do you think it is below 100lbs or even 200lbs.And for pete's sake DO NOT smell the MIG gas.  Argon is heavier than air and will settle in your lungs.  Bad!  If you crack the valve and don't hear anything come out - it is empty.Last edited by TSOR; 01-17-2011 at 08:00 PM.ɹǝʌo ǝɯ lloɹ 'sıɥʇ pɐǝɹ uɐɔ noʎ ɟı