Tig Water Cooler Location

[F40]

What is the best place to locate a water cooler for a tig torch if it is on a stand with other electric components (I see pictures of coolers beside on on top of a power source and I kinda cringe)

I have a bernard cooler that has always sat on the ground away from my machine. I am now building a stand to hold the bernard cooler along with a Lincoln V350 pro, a mig module, a tig module, plasma cutter and a suction unit.

Any advice on the location of the cooler is welcome.

[zapster]

Closer the better..:cool:
Leave it off to the side..

...zap!

[awright]

Are you concerned about flow problems, water leaking onto the welder, or what?

Exact position should make no difference at all in flow. A moderate positive or negative elevation change from tank to torch will not affect flow. Pressure change in one direction due to elevation change will be matched by the opposite pressure change in the return line, leaving a zero net affect on flow. Since the fluid pressure out of the pump is typically more than 30 PSI, any air trapped in the line would be purged immediately unless you had a very weak pump. Pressure change due to elevation change alone is about 1/2 PSI per foot of elevation so the typical water cooler pump could pump water to at least 60 feet elevation above the pump (not that that would be a good idea).

The school where I took the course in TIG had had their coolers on racks above the welding machines for years. I don't see a problem unless you are really messy in refilling the tank. I'd build the rack for the most convenient layout.

awright

[F40]

My concern is about water when the welder is on....something like a leaking fitting or a spill that would spray water on the machines. Is this something to be concerned about with a water cooler?

[lotechman]

Heat exchangers or fan ventilation located on the floor of a welding shop is an invitation to trouble. Even raising a fan intake a foot or two off the floor reduces the amount of dust sucked in.
Putting the cooler directly above electrical equipment invites disaster such as when the reservoir is topped up. Why play with Dame Fate. She already stacks the cards against you.

[DesertRider33]

I put the cooler on the bottom of the cart below the TIG machine. I'm glad I did... The first time I turned everything on and started welding with it, the only connection I didn't make myself on the water system leaked. It was the only one that didn't have teflon tape on the threads. Because the cooler was on the bottom of the cart, all it did was leak on the garage floor, no problem :).

[WelderBoy]

If you have a quality store-bought water cooler and you do periodic inspection of your hoses then you will have no problems with leaking.

If you jerry-rigged a watercooler from scratch out of cheapo plastic parts, a fish tank pump, old cracked hoses duct-taped to fittings. Then yes, I would worry about where I put it.

I have a coolit II watercooler with almost brand new hoses and fittings. The rubber seal for filling with water is in good condition and I would have no problem trusting this to sit on TOP of my welder without leaking. However next to it is where I place it. The closer the better to save on space and to cut down on how many hoses and such are sprawled out on the shop floor.

If that helps...

[gnm109]

My cooler tank is a nice stainless steel one. It was built by the previous owner who is a professional welder and machinist. It's about 15 gallons and it sits on top of a 1-1/4" welder rack that holds my bid Lincoln 250/250 TIG Stick. I run about 7 gallons of water mixed with a gallon of car coolant. It's got a small turbine-type carbonator pump on top and I really works great. The torch always stays cool. It's not leaked a drop in the 12 years I've owned it.