Oxycon & gas problems

[Ilona]

I have been tearing my hair out with problems with my new to me reconditioned oxycon. My oxycon low oxygen light kept coming on and my flame was unworkable. Last night I gave up, and turned my attention to my gas cylinder, and thought it seemed a bit low. I had had problems with it when I got it and had a bad gas leak for the first 2 weeks not knowing what was going on. Hubby took the gas cylinder back to be changed and he thought it was a 1/4 to half full Anyway, tonight my orange light is on again, and the new gas, and everything was perfect. I think i will check with Martin, but it looks like my orange light doesn't make any difference, as the ball didn't drop pressure. If anyone knows any different can you let me know.

[Hamilton Taylor]

Generally, you can run the oxycon on an orange light - it means that the oxy purity is lower than required for a respiratory patient, but is usually entirely adequate for a lampworking torch. To diagnose the original problem, we need to know a bit more about the unworkable flame - in what way was it unworkable? If you can describe the colour, size, sound, shape of the flame, it's probably possible to tell you what was wrong with it.

On the other hand, it's working just fine since you changed the propane - all is good!   

Sean

[Ilona]

I was running 2 oxycons and the flame was really bushy and creeping. I switched off what I thought was the poorly one and no way could I torch and then I tried the poorly one and that was worse. it was like a propane rich flame. Tonight and just as hot in the caravan I tried again with both oxycons on and a new gas cylinder and perfect. The orange light was on for low oxygen on, but the pressure level had not dropped. I am thinking that all along I have had a bad gas cylinder. I will see how I go but I do think it was the gas.

Should I get the reconditioned one out if it the low oxygen light comes on? or not worry about it?.

[Kaz]

My experience says if you are running 2 oxys on one torch you need to do a fair bit of adjusting of the flow on each until they are perfectly happy - about 3.5 on each was the optimum for me.
Kazx

[Hamilton Taylor]

Yep, it's good to balance the oxycons if you run more than one.
I'm still unsure what the problem was - but, since it no longer occurrs, I'd not worry about it.
For an oxycon with an orange light - try running it with no torch connected, and adjust the output flow to around 4 on the floaty-ball-meter.
if the light is orange, leave it for a while - it may well go back to green.

When the oxycon is asked to output close to its maximum, the quality of the oxygen drops, and can trigger the orange light - by asking less of it you give it the chance to increase the purity again.

If you still end up with an orange light, but are happy with the range of flames you can achieve at the torch, then don't worry about it - the oxygen purity is good enough for what you need to do.

I run 4 oxycons on a torch, and 2 of them run constantly on orange - but I get what I need from them, so I'm happy to leave them to it!

Sean