Oxygen gauges freezing up.help!

caliglassguy · #1 2013-01-04, 10:30pm

ok so im torching just like i normally do with about 25 psi oxygen on my gauge using a red max torch and my oxygen gauge starts to freeze up and pressure keeps fluctuating up on its own, i can hear the difference in the hiss of the torch. so im thinking my gauge is bad. its a victor brand gauge which is a solid stout reputable brand, so i change out gauge to my smith gauge and it starts to do the same thing so im like wtf is wrong is it the tank which has a newer looking brass fitting with new on off spigot is it my torch. I really dont think both gauges are suddenly bad. could whatever replacement spigot the weld gas supplier put on the tank be bad or maybe its the flashback arrestors? any advice what to check?

Alaska · #2 2013-01-05, 2:47am

Here is what a google search said:

"Oxygen regulators will freeze if there is a high flow of oxygen going through the regulator. If a large amount of oxygen is flowing through too small of a regulator it will ice up. A large bodied regulator helps prevent this due to its ability to absorb the ambient air and warm the regulator. The cold temperature of the oxygen can also freeze any moisture on or in the regulator."

houptdavid · #3 2013-01-05, 7:40am

Turn your O2 down to 10-15psi

istandalone24/7 · #4 2013-01-05, 7:41am

did you start experiencing this issue with a newly exchanged o2 tank?
if so...there's your problem.

silverlilly1 · #5 2013-01-05, 7:55am

When we design pressure-regulating stations for natural gas, it uses similar concepts. As gas expands (decreases in pressure), it gives off heat (it gets colder). Your regulator freezing could be VERY unsafe, depending on the position in which it freezes. A high flow through the regulator could cause the regulator to freeze up, as could a large pressure drop. In both cases, we either change the station equipment (get a different regulator with different specs) or add heating. Heating heats the gas prior to the pressure drop so that the change will not cause the regulator to freeze up. As we need to keep our oxygen tanks outside, if you have a cold ambient temperature outdoors that could be enough to cause your freezing. Not sure what you can do other than wait for the temperature outside to warm up, keep your torch valve turned down more (reducing oxygen flow somewhat), or change the regulator. It will depend on the specific factors involved in your setup.

LarryC · #6 2013-01-05, 9:34am

What do you mean by freezing? Is there ice on the regulator or is the pressure/flow just fluctuating? If its just the flow then it could be the torch valve. I run my oxygen pressure on my setup at 50psi and thats not unusual. Is the tank outside? We have had sub 30 temps during the nights here in san jose lately and that could be problematic.

caliglassguy · #7 2013-01-05, 10:02am

Thank you for all the replies. It did happen after I got newly exchanged tanks so I switched tanks and also reduced the pressure on gauge to around 20 psi I checked the gauge after running the torch for a while and it was still getting super cold and had moisture on it but it had not got to the pressure fluctuating yet. Maybe due to colder weather and studio being in cold garage and possibly my pressure on gauge being set at 25 to 30 when it was freezing up, all attributed to it freezing up. Im not a hundred percent sure that if I had kept running the torch for a longer period of time after changing gauges and tanks that it would not have happened again. I believe there was ice formed and the gauge would spike about 10 psi past where I had it set. Would the freezing up cause damage to the gauges or the flashback arrestors? I will try again possibly tonight with reduced pressure on the O2 tank. I guess if it happens again I can send torch in to check valves out.

elle · #8 2013-01-06, 12:31pm

In my experience, the oxy reg can get very cold on a very full tank, but settles down after it empties a bit. Summer, winter, whenever. I don't crank up the PSI, so even at 7-9 psi it can get pretty chilly. I've never had it freeze. If it happens to be worrying me, I soak a clean washrag in hot water, squeeze most of the water out, and sling it over the brass and repeat as necessary.

The only damage I could see happening is to your diaphragm in the regulator. Most of them are plastic, and it could crack or become brittle from being frozen. This could account for the spike in pressure. Luckily diaphragms are cheap to replace.

I hope this helps..
Sarah

LarryC · #9 2013-01-06, 1:17pm

It IS cold here in san jose

elle · #10 2013-01-06, 1:37pm

Wowza!!!

Anne Londez · #11 2013-01-06, 2:12pm

20 - 25 psi does seem a lot of pressure for a Redmax. I routinely work on a Midrange and I've had a Redmax setup up for a few days once and I never come near that kind of pressure. I need to check the exact figures but I'd say 15 psi is still way over what I've used to make 10-12 cm large (that's around 4-5 inches) solid flowers.