Oxy Con Problem

carrieb · #1 2009-12-07, 1:27pm

My oxy con isn't working. Unfortunately the company I purchased it from doesn't respond in a timely manner. So I'm hoping that maybe someone will have some troubleshooting info to share with me. I'm not even sure where to start with this problem and it also seems to be intermittent. It was acting up the week or so before Thanksgiving and then it seemed to fix itself. Today was the first day since the Monday before Thanksgiving that I tried to torch. What is happening is that I plug it in and after a couple of minutes of running it shuts down and the alarm is goes off. I have a DeVilbiss MC44-90 that I purchased in 2007. It had 24505 hours on it when I bought it and now has 24975 hours on the counter. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

clan tabby · #2 2009-12-07, 2:31pm

From the little bit I've learned about oxycons, it sounds like it's not able to produce O2 of sufficient purity, which would set the alarm off. Have you cleaned/changed the filter(s)? Also, some oxycons are notorious for their dislike of sharing electricity. The DeVilbliss is one of those. Is it on its own dedicated line?

I'm sure more knowledgeable people will chime in, but those are a couple of things to start with.

Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be!

squid · #3 2009-12-07, 2:43pm

are you sure the valve is open - if it backpressures, it will alarm and shut off.

kbinkster · #4 2009-12-07, 3:14pm

Do you have it running on a power strip or from an outlet used to run something else?

DeVilbisses are finicky about their power supply. They don't like to share and will shut themselves off if they sense that they are not getting enough.

If this is the case, try running it on its own outlet. Also, running it on the same circuit as your kiln might cause that effect, too, if the kiln pulls most of the amperage for that circuit.

carrieb · #5 2009-12-08, 7:22am

Thank you all for the tips. I really appreciate the information. I haven't had problems with it before and don't know what to do. I'm kind of disheartened because the company who sold it to me isn't responding to calls or emails I've sent.

I googled that model and read about a filter that should be/might need to be replaced once a year. There is a filter kit available that looks like what is on the inside of my machine. I'll ask about it when I get a hold of the company that sold it to me.

It is plugged into its own outlet but we get power blips where it will cut off and then back on. We didn't have any of those yesterday though. My husband and I took the case off and vacuumed inside & out, vacuumed any filters we saw and checked to make sure all the connectors were secure. I had already washed the filter located on the outside of the case. Then we plugged it into another outlet but not hooked up to the oxy hose. It ran fine. I'm getting ready to give it a try and will hope for the best.

oldschooltofu · #6 2009-12-08, 10:18am

mine are failing because of the rubber seals in the compressors. they seem to only last 1-2 years. and are extremely difficult to replace.

kbinkster · #7 2009-12-08, 10:24am

Check to make sure that there are no obstructions in your hose or in your torch. Also, like Squid mentioned, be sure to leave the oxygen valve open on your torch as long as the machine is running. If the valve is closed and not allowing oxygen to get through, the machine will be backpressured and will alarm and shut off.

carrieb · #8 2009-12-09, 2:04pm

Thanks to all who responded. The problem was back pressure. What is bad is that I've never left the valve open during the two years I've had this machine. I never knew you were supposed to do that.

All during November I was having problems with sootyness on my beads. It was suggested to me that it was because of a lack of oxygen to my torch. Right before Thanksgiving I discovered that the plastic piece with the clear tubing on the oxy hose that attaches to the christmas tree part on the oxy con had worked itself loose and fell off in my hand.

Once I put that piece back on properly was when the new problem arose. I'm guessing that it must have been loose from the get go otherwise I would have been having problems a long time ago.

We are having some exceptionally warm weather and I just spent a lovely afternoon torching with no problems

All the help was much appreciated.