Uneven flame on Minor
 

This evening I tried to light my new Minor, but had a problem with the flame. When the oxy valve is opened on the torch, the oxycon seems to work normally (i appreciate that my wet hand is not the most precise measuring tool, but the flow feels even and stable). When i close the oxy valve for a few seconds to open the propan valve and light the torch and then open the oxy valve, the flame starts to change from oxydising shape to pure propane flame. During these several seconds oxycon beeps an error and falls to 0 lpm.

For me it looks like the oxy machine is too clever and immediately stops the flow if there is no exit. And when the valve opens again it can not restore the presetset level of oxygen. But separately the oxycon works just fine.

Propane seems to flow evenly, flame is same size without fluctuations.

I did not try to light the torch with the oxy valve open, since all I learned so far - POOP must be observed always.

The setup i have is as follows - minor, propane tank, flashback arrestor on propane. Bitmos Oxy 6000 6 lpm max (set to 5 now).

Thank you in advance.

Generally when an oxycon does that, it means that it needs its filters changed or it's got a cracked hose inside it. My advice would be to find a manual for your machine and study it thoroughly, then order a set of replacement filters. They aren't all that difficult to service yourself. If it's a cracked hose, surgical rubber tubing is fairly easy to get. There's a lot of information on this website about self-servicing oxycons, so do your homework!

Oxygen concentrators are medical devices and they are built to shut down if something inside them goes wrong. Oxygen in high concentrations is not precisely flammable, but it supports flame, and if an oxycon started leaking large amounts of oxygen while some idiot is smoking nearby... you can see the problem.

Robin, thank you :) The oxycon is new, so all filters are fresh and clean.

I did a test last night - lighted the torch with oxy valve open and it worked like a dream - no oxy flow problem at all. May be it is not the safest way, but I failed to resist trying the torch that was waiting for almost half a year. And today I spent about 5 hours - no single problem until I close the output while the oxycon is working. It seems this is all about it's control unit.

I am thinking about adding a 3-direction fitting into the oxy line with the switch to "trigger" output to the torch and to the side (I can add it within my reach but far enough from the torch and lighter) to close the line to the torch when I need without interrupting the flow from the oxycon.

Did you let it run a few minutes before trying to light the torch? I always turn mine on while I get set up, then light the torch, so the oxygen can get built up and stabilize.

When starting I set oxycon on 1.5 lpm (with oxy valve on the torch fully open). Then open gas valve a bit and light the torch. Then I set oxycon to 4 lpm and adjust gas valve to bigger flame. I work on NG/5lpm oxycon, no problems with flame or oxycon. At the end of torching I shut off the gas valve on the gas line first, then shut the gass off at the torch (to bleed gas hose). Then set oxycon back to 1.5 lpm and shut it off as well. I keep oxy valve fully open at the torch at all times and regulate oxy flow on oxycon, not the torch. I am trying to be easy on my oxycon, took me a while to find used one in good condition.

I always run my oxycon at almost fully open.

I let it run for almost 3 minutes before lighting my torch and then I turn off the oxygen at the torch for the 10 or 15 seconds it takes me to get the natural gas burning.

If I run longer than 15 or 20 seconds the oxycon will start beeping at me although I have never had it shut itself off even if it takes me 3 minutes to get the gas burning.

Starting the oxycon with low 1.5 liters per minute output means that the machine will take longer to push the "stale air" (from sitting turned off over night ) out of the tubes and inner mechanics to get the "fresh" oxygen flowing to the torch face.



The symptoms you are describing sound like "stale air" in the hose lines that doesn't have the higher concentration of oxygen you want and that is why the flame flutters and fluctuates on you.

Eileen, Phill, I switched the oxycon in advance, it was working for 10 minutes or so with the line opened at the torch.

But it seems it is too sensitive, it does not wait even for 10 seconds and reduces production to 0.1 almost immediately when the line closes.

Thank you for your help, may be I just need to spend more time next weekend to go deeper into its possible settings.

I'm a silly cow :) I was too scary to open the oxy valve on the torch and turned it "just a little bit" and oxy had no normal exit. Opened as needed - works as a dream.

Just found this thread and am so glad I did!!
I have been experiencing a similar issue with my Oxycon only it doesn't beep when I turn down the oxy knob on my torch but it drops 3-4 lpm and I can't use the regulator knob on the Oxycon to get it higher than 6.5

The instructions that came with the oxycon advised me to not follow POOP but apparently I can if I turn down the lpms on my machine.

Thank you!!!