Oxygen concentrator help?

I’m still struggling to get comfortable w mine. Is anyone willing to get on video chat w me and walk me through turning on, testing, using and turning off mine? I’m trying to get past our house fire making me fearful of it.

What specifically are you having trouble with?..Rob

Honestly everything. Because of my home burning down I have a fear of turning it on and turning it off so I just want someone to get on video with me and be there with me and stroke me as I turn it on, basically to get me comfortable with it without being alone in my shop LOL

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Here, watch this. If you’re half as bad as this guy, you’ll be fine.

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What kind of torch do you use and do you have the fittings to properly connect your torch to the concentrator and gas cylinder? Most concentrators have a plastic or brass barb fittings at the O2 outlet. That being the case, you will need a length of plastic hose that tightly fits over the barb. On the other end you will need a barbed fitting that will transition to either an A or a B size fitting depending on what size fittings your torch has. The gas connections should be fairly straight forward. Remember that the gas fittings tighten in a left hand fashion. Make sure that all the fittings are tight. I usually crack the O2 valve before I start my O2 concentrator until it has had a chance to be making O2. This is usually no more than a few seconds. My concentrator has a light on it the tells me when this is the case. Close the O2 valve on your torch, open the gas valve slightly and light the torch. Once the gas flame is established and stable, slowly open the O2 valve. Then adjust each valve to get whatever flame you want. In most cases, you will open the O2 valve as far as it will go and then adjust your flame with the gas valve. It is always a good idea to include a flashback/checkvalve on both the gas and O2 source. This may be too much of a restriction to get adequate O2. I just had my O2 concentrator rebuilt and will reinstall the flash back/checkvalve. If you still have concerns, take the whole thing out in the driveway or sidewalk and practice. Good luck and keep us posted…Rob

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When I mention that you will want to open your O2 valve on your torch completely, that would only be when you are doing a melt. Other tasks will likely not require that you open the O2 valve completely…Rob

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Sorry about your loss, a house fire is a traumatic event…I can understand your fear of another fire…

02 concentrators work at low pressures. 5 psi or less. the flow rate matters more than the pressure when used both for soldering and medical purposes. They won’t blow up, leaks don’t do anything unless near a flame…you can’t fill your house with 90% 02 and worry about the stove blowing up…flammable gases pose a far greater risk than 02. just make sure your equipment is in good shape… 02 leaks will decrease flow and make for less of a flame. Turn off the oxygen before you turn off the gas. If you turn off the gas first, and leave the oxygen on, the torch head will pop… especially for acetylene. the pop is caused by the flame leaning out before it extinquishes. starting a torch, turn on the gas first, then adjust the oxygen feed to get the proper flame- reducing, neutral, oxiziding… always have a check valve to prevent blowback… flamable gases are at higher pressures than the oxygen output, some could leak back into the oxygen hose without a check valve. Concentators are cheaper to operate than tanks… being low pressure, they are actually safer. Rob has great advice… follow it and you’ll be safe.

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It’s been all set up and ready to go and I’ve even turned the oxygen on. I’m struggling with my fear my house fire left a few years ago and just need “someone with me” as h first use it

Following may be a link to a good YouTube video that shows how to connect and light a Little Torch and O2 concentrator combination. I think that it is done by a ganoksin contributor…Rob

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