Any adverse effects of storing the welder in an unheated garage???

[rustywrangler]

Just as it states. I am moving my jeep to a family members garage for the winter to work on it. It is heated only when working in there so I wanted to ask if there is any adverse effects of storing my Millermatic 180 with tank of C25 out in the basically freezing garage?????

Thanx guys.
-Rusty

[MicroZone]

None that I know of. My shop is heated but I don't leave it on all the time. Most of the time it's 30 degrees out there, especially when the outside ambient temps drops below 0 (zero), I just turn the machines on and fire up the heat, let the welders "warm up" for a few minutes and start welding.

The gas should be fine as well, if I recall correctly, the freezing point of C02 is around -79 C. Just the same, Argons freezing point is -308.8 F.

[rustywrangler]

Originally Posted by MicroZone

None that I know of. My shop is heated but I don't leave it on all the time. Most of the time it's 30 degrees out there, especially when the outside ambient temps drops below 0 (zero), I just turn the machines on and fire up the heat, let the welders "warm up" for a few minutes and start welding.

The gas should be fine as well, if I recall correctly, the freezing point of C02 is around -79 C. Just the same, Argons freezing point is -308.8 F.

Thanx for the quick reply. LOL I was taught to weld, not how to store, maint, and set up the machine. I am learning as I go.

Thanx again

-Rusty

[jamlit]

Hey Rusty.

I kepted my mig in an unheated garage for it's first few years. All I ever did was cover it with an old bed sheet. It helps keep the moisture off the machine when the shop is either cooling down or warming up.

[offrdfun73]

Good point on the moisture. That is the only real problem condensation. You would be suprised at how durable a welder realy is even a little rain wont kill one, but I do not recomend it. My dad has a lincolin 225 ac that he has had for about 29 years and it has been in the shop with wood heat and it gets heated up for the weekend to do a project and then sit for a month it works great. He also has a small 140 amp mig and an ac/dc stick not *** old and they are just fine. you got nothing to worry about.

[zapster]

Don't worry about the cold..
Just make sure with a Watercooled TIG you don't have frozen lines in the torch ...

Look at all the portable welders out there in the weather every day..

Let it "warm up" before starting and go for it!

...zap!

[Skwerly]

By "warm up" I'm assuming you mean turning it on, letting it just run for a bit before striking an arc yea? (just makin sure haha, i'm in a similar situation).

[kelly_b]

Welders can withstand all the elements you can throw at it (almost all). My neighbors keep their welders outside in the snow and crank it up when they need to use it every once in a while. I think it is no biggie.