Leave gas turned on?

[Munkul]

I've known me to check 3 times before leaving the workshop that all my gas bottles are closed...

I've also struck a few arcs without any gas, you fast realise

[LanceR]

I had it happen to a TV back in the 90’s

Shoot, a year ago last week lightning hit my wife's Buick Lacrosse while it was sitting on our driveway. It melted every fuse and relay block and fried every computer in the car. After the dealer spent a few hours checking and declared it DOA it USAA sent me a check for it and hauled it away. Remarkably, the Buick was next to my Expedition and our camper neither of which had any issues. And there wasn't a mark on the car or the ground under the car but it sure stank of fried electronics. USAA gave us darn good service. We had the check two days after it was determined to be "totaled" and they gave us credit for a few upgrades and recent new tires, four corner brake job from the hubs out etc.

I use a fused disconnect for the welder receptacles and am in the habit of turning the gas on before the welder and off before the welder. I have though forgotten to go down into the far end of the basement, where my 6-1/2 HP compressor is, to turn that off on occasion. It sits right under our bedroom and reminds me in the middle of the night sometimes. I need to rig a starter in the garage for the compressor.....

Best regards to all,

[Poleframer]

Haha, what a great topic. I'm going to bet many of the welders here have lost a tank of gas a time or two.
Experience is the best teacher, and when you go to weld something, and find a open valve and an empty tank you sure kick yourself in the butt for it, and start getting in the habit of checking the valves. I often do when I walk by my cutting rig or welder, just to make sure.
STILL gets me once in a great while, but now I have backup tanks of everything.

[Kelvin]

...start getting in the habit of checking the valves. I often do when I walk by my cutting rig ...

Me too. I check the O/A bottles a LOT. I also take a good whiff for garlic smell before I throw the lightswitch in the shop.

[pepi]

in the habit of turning the gas on before the welder and off before the welder.
Best regards to all,

That's my dance, pre-flight, post flight.

[N2 Welding]

Haha, what a great topic. I'm going to bet many of the welders here have lost a tank of gas a time or two.
Experience is the best teacher, and when you go to weld something, and find a open valve and an empty tank you sure kick yourself in the butt for it, and start getting in the habit of checking the valves. I often do when I walk by my cutting rig or welder, just to make sure.
STILL gets me once in a great while, but now I have backup tanks of everything.

I got an exchange c25 bottle that leaked while off. Very slow leak but none the less, it has trained me to bring a little spray bottle of soapy water to test the valve before I except any new exchange bottles before I load it up. Oh I also bring a regulator to see how much psi the tank has as well.

[davec]

I hang my helmet on the tank valve. Easy to remember to turn it on and off that way. But I still check it 1,000 times to ensure it is off. Yeah I left it on one time overnight and didn.t lose the whole tank, but it was enough to make me watch more closely...

[SlowBlues]

Storing your in use tanks near your lightswitch and/or door is a good reminder also. I try to park whatever tanks have hoses attached near the main light switch at the end of the day.

This only works if you put your stuff up at the end of the day (I don't always, especially those marathon days). If they are the last things you see before you leave you are much more likely to check and close them.

Great tip n2, though now I'll have to remember not to forget my soapy water!

[Lis2323]

Great tip n2, though now I'll have to remember not to forget my soapy water!

Apparently urine with high level alcohol content works in a pinch.


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[N2 Welding]

Apparently urine with high level alcohol content works in a pinch.


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Says you lol.

[Bob-O]

Shoot, a year ago last week lightning hit my wife's Buick Lacrosse while it was sitting on our driveway. It melted every fuse and relay block and fried every computer in the car. After the dealer spent a few hours checking and declared it DOA it USAA sent me a check for it and hauled it away. Remarkably, the Buick was next to my Expedition and our camper neither of which had any issues. And there wasn't a mark on the car or the ground under the car but it sure stank of fried electronics. USAA gave us darn good service. We had the check two days after it was determined to be "totaled" and they gave us credit for a few upgrades and recent new tires, four corner brake job from the hubs out etc.

I use a fused disconnect for the welder receptacles and am in the habit of turning the gas on before the welder and off before the welder. I have though forgotten to go down into the far end of the basement, where my 6-1/2 HP compressor is, to turn that off on occasion. It sits right under our bedroom and reminds me in the middle of the night sometimes. I need to rig a starter in the garage for the compressor.....

Best regards to all,

LanceR, I have done that very thing with my air compressor that is on the opposite side of the shop(to keep noise away) as I used a motor contactor with a 110 coil, my compressor is 240v) and use a switch by the gang box for lights in shop. I have contemplated using a keyless remote from Home Depot and use it, except knowing me I would lose the remote. By installing switch by shop lights I don't forget to turn off the compressor when I close shop down.

[John T]

Me too. I check the O/A bottles a LOT. I also take a good whiff for garlic smell before I throw the lightswitch in the shop.

Why,
Is it bad when your shop smells like garlic?

[Kelvin]

To me, acetylene smells like garlic. I love garlic, I just don't like to ride it to MACH 8.
YMMV.

[JD1]

Thank you all. Sorry for late response, just got out of the hospital from a heart attack. Very interesting thread to see how others deal with this. I'm going to make a small laminated card and tape it where it hangs over the welder switch and says "Turn gas on/off". Can't turn the welder on/off without the card getting in the way.


Another question brought up by someone in this thread: so is flipping the breaker off good enough to keep lightning or a surge from frying your welder? Obviously unplugging it would work but wondered about the breaker possibility.

[G-ManBart]

Thank you all. Sorry for late response, just got out of the hospital from a heart attack. Very interesting thread to see how others deal with this. I'm going to make a small laminated card and tape it where it hangs over the welder switch and says "Turn gas on/off". Can't turn the welder on/off without the card getting in the way.


Another question brought up by someone in this thread: so is flipping the breaker off good enough to keep lightning or a surge from frying your welder? Obviously unplugging it would work but wondered about the breaker possibility.

Yikes...glad you made it back!

I'm not an electrician, but I'm not so sure flipping the breaker is foolproof protection against a lightning strike. Lightning does weird things, can jump gaps and probably induce voltage after the breaker. If the machine is unplugged there really isn't any way for current to get to it, so that's what I do.

[Kelvin]

Lightning does weird things, can jump gaps and probably induce voltage after the breaker. If the machine is unplugged there really isn't any way for current to get to it, so that's what I do.

+1

If lightning can jump from the ground to the clouds, I'm guessing it can jump an open breaker ... or for that matter, from the outlet to the unplugged machine, but if the machine ain't grounded, my hope would be that it wouldn't go into the machine.

A friend of mine said he once saw a ball of lightning fly out of his woodstove, fly across his living room and go into the outlet across the room. My brother once had lightning come in through the screen on a screened door to his kitchen and burn a pencil-diameter hole through the aluminum saucepan on his electric stove. He discovered it when he found the water all over his stove...that saucepan then became a "wall hanger" conversation piece.

[danielplace]

Didn't read all the replies but very simple and probably mentioned.

Think GAS and turn GAS on first and then shut it off first when your done. No problems and then you can't forget. I am gonna use the welder. The welder runs on GAS turn the GAS on.

Never leave your system turned on.

Went dirt biking today. First ride forgot to turn the gas on. Boy did she fall flat on her face when the carb went dry. Glad we were trail riding the woods you can get seriously hurt on the track if bike shuts down coming off a jump.

[nick121]

I always turn it off. Once you get into the habit it's really not that hard to turn it off. If it is leak free currently i'd still make a habit of shutting it off, on the chance you do forget you shouldn't lose any but good habit to get into.
I tend to unplug my welders too just in case of lightening, maybe a false worry?

[Poleframer]

I guess while this thread is wandering around a little I'd bring up another practice that I see a lot of welders follow, that I call bunk on.
Some people swear by backing off the adjusting screws on their oxy acet rigs. I guess if you typically adjust differently every time, but I usually leave them be, unless I need a bit more for thick steel.
I usually hear the reasoning go something like "the diaphram will wear out, or get streached" if you dont. BS
Look at a mig or tig regulator with a flow meter. Internally they are the same as an oxygen regulator. But the regulator is set for a fixed psi, while the flow meter (tube with the ball) adjusts for flow. The pressure adjusting screw is fixed (for 50 psi, usually), same screw used to adjust the pressure on the other regulators.
I've replaced the diaphrams on several regulators now, air compressor regulators work the same way. Once they get so old, the rubber eventually cracks from age, not from improper adjustment.
I learned this from a really nice regulator given me, was going through a LOT of argon. Soap test didnt show anything, the holes around the front cover were too big to form bubbles, wasnt till I listened close for the hiss of gas.

[M J D]

I guess while this thread is wandering around a little I'd bring up another practice that I see a lot of welders follow, that I call bunk on.
Some people swear by backing off the adjusting screws on their oxy acet rigs. I guess if you typically adjust differently every time, but I usually leave them be, unless I need a bit more for thick steel.
I usually hear the reasoning go something like "the diaphram will wear out, or get streached" if you dont. BS
Look at a mig or tig regulator with a flow meter. Internally they are the same as an oxygen regulator. But the regulator is set for a fixed psi, while the flow meter (tube with the ball) adjusts for flow. The pressure adjusting screw is fixed (for 50 psi, usually), same screw used to adjust the pressure on the other regulators.
I've replaced the diaphrams on several regulators now, air compressor regulators work the same way. Once they get so old, the rubber eventually cracks from age, not from improper adjustment.
I learned this from a really nice regulator given me, was going through a LOT of argon. Soap test didnt show anything, the holes around the front cover were too big to form bubbles, wasnt till I listened close for the hiss of gas.

I agree with this. Very seldom do I back off my regulators. I've yet to have an issue. I shut the tanks off and the pressure does bleed off over time but I have no detectable leaks. I also always shut off the acetylene first when shutting off the flame. My thoughts were always that the higher pressure oxygen would push out any flame so a burn back couldn't happen. I'm sure some "expert" will say it's incorrect bit it's worked for me longer than the majority of the " experts" have been alive

[Welder Dave]

For years they said to shut the acetylene off first which makes sense. You shut off the source of fuel. Now some are saying to shut the oxygen off first because you can see if you any (acetylene) leaks. I thought stuff like Snoop is for testing for leaks. Now they are also saying you shouldn't crack a cylinder for a second to blow any dirt out before you attach the regulator. Must be some bored safety police with too much time on their hands. As far as loosening the adjusting screws, I don't think it's a bad idea if you you use your torch intermittently. Diaphragms do wear out and having them under pressure or stretched may cause them to deteriorate faster. I think the recommendation to loosen them comes from an actual accident(s) but could have been decades ago. I've seen gauges blown from opening a high pressure cylinder too fast. I always open cylinders real slow till I see the gauge start to move but have seen a lot of guys just walk over and crank it open. That might be a factor in recommending the reg's. are backed off.

[M J D]

For years they said to shut the acetylene off first which makes sense. You shut off the source of fuel. Now some are saying to shut the oxygen off first because you can see if you any (acetylene) leaks. I thought stuff like Snoop is for testing for leaks. Now they are also saying you shouldn't crack a cylinder for a second to blow any dirt out before you attach the regulator. Must be some bored safety police with too much time on their hands. As far as loosening the adjusting screws, I don't think it's a bad idea if you you use your torch intermittently. Diaphragms do wear out and having them under pressure or stretched may cause them to deteriorate faster. I think the recommendation to loosen them comes from an actual accident(s) but could have been decades ago. I've seen gauges blown from opening a high pressure cylinder too fast. I always open cylinders real slow till I see the gauge start to move but have seen a lot of guys just walk over and crank it open. That might be a factor in recommending the reg's. are backed off.

I get the backing off with regs. I use mine almost daily and always knew about gauges or regs coming apart from opening too fast. As for cracking the valve first, Ive seen way too much crap get in the open cylinder threads that I figure it's a must do. I'm sure it's safety police behind a lot of that crap that's been done forever

[Kelvin]

I've seen gauges blown from opening a high pressure cylinder too fast. I always open cylinders real slow till I see the gauge start to move but have seen a lot of guys just walk over and crank it open. That might be a factor in recommending the reg's. are backed off.

[Josey]

I see as this tread also mentions. air compressors, I would add my experience. During a very cold snap the pump froze
and the motor burnt itself out trying to start it. As for the cylinders I would never leave them open, even
for a short time. But I never close the gauges. I have never had any trouble with any of them.

[Welder Dave]

I get the backing off with regs. I use mine almost daily and always knew about gauges or regs coming apart from opening too fast. As for cracking the valve first, Ive seen way too much crap get in the open cylinder threads that I figure it's a must do. I'm sure it's safety police behind a lot of that crap that's been done forever

Maybe the new rules are for millennials that aren't smart enough to make sure there's no source of heat/combustibles when they crack the cylinders to blow any dirt out. They think they're entitled anyway so maybe they think they're entitled to not blow up too???