Standard Gas Regulator Settings?

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi All,

There seems to be a difference in camps regarding how to set the
regulator after you have bled the gas.

Some people crank it all the on.

Some people wind it out and have it loose.

I am in the latter camp, because I was taught that if you keep the
regulator cranked all the way up, you loosen the diaphragm and it
will no longer regulate a correct pressure. Sort of why you keep a
mandrel in a quick release handpiece.

Which is it and why?

-k

Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
50 Guinan St.
Waltham, MA 02451
Ph. 781/891-3854 Fax 3857
http://www.metalwerx.com/
Jewelry/Metalarts School & Cooperative Studio

2

Karen,

I figure the manufacturer of the equiptment should have the
athoritative say rather than just individual opinion.

Taken directly from the “Saftey and Operating Instructions” manual
for single and dual stage regulators which came with my most recent
(March of this year) regulator purchase ( put out by Victor
Equiptment Company) I quote the following instructions:

WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED USING THE REGULATOR

  1. Close the cylinder valve.

  2. Open the valve on the downstream equiotment. This drains all the
    pressure from the system.

  3. Close the valve on the downstream equiptment.

  4. Turn the adjusting screw counterclockwise (on the regulator) to
    release tension on the adjusting spring.

  5. Check the guages after a few minutes for verification that the
    cylinder valve is closed completely."

I’ve seen too many “opinion” posts on this subject that are
incorrect. In this case, if the tension on the regulator’s adjusting
spring is not released after use and the lines drain before
subsequent use, the next time the cylinder is opened the full
pressure of the take will hit the regulator’s diaphram with full
force and (especially in the case of the oxygen regulator)
potentially blowing the face of the regulator apart and causing
serious bodily injury.

Paul Reilly

3

Karen,

No question there. After bleeding the hose, the regulator control
should be turned out ntil it is lose. Why? Because if it is left
screwed in, when you open the tank valve the entire pressure suddenly
hits the diaphragm and can damage it. If it is screwed out, when you
open the tank valve, you control the release of gas into the
regulator as you screw it in.

Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFO where simple
elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut2

4

Hi Karen,

There seems to be a difference in camps regarding how to set the
regulator after you have bled the gas.

I think if you talk to folks who work for the regulator companies &
folks who weld for a living, you’ll find some variation there too.
However, the majority of them that I know (& they didn’t all go to
the same school), opt for loosening the ‘T’ handles so there’s no
pressure on the regulator diaphrams when the torch is not being
used…

As you indicated, keeping them metal part of the diaphram in almost
the same sport for extended periods of time can cause it to ‘take a
set’ & be less responsive in other positions.

Dave

5

Karen

  1. The manuals that came with my torch set said to set it loose when
    the torch was not in use. There are also safety concerns about the
    pressure hitting the diaphragm in an open condition.

  2. That was the way I was taught to use a torch in college and I
    have never used another method.

Terry

6

ok don…you’re the man…how do people know what pressure is
correct for their torch settings… proper care of regulator’s…
i have four that need new diaphrams… are there any instructions for
tank/regulator procedures…i just did what i was told and that’s not
working for me…my memory is’nt what it use to be either.

thanks lisa

7

Close the valves on the cylinders, Back the regulators off and bleed
the hoses.

jesse

8

After I shut off my tank and drain the excess gas from the hoses I
always open the regulator all the way- leaving no pressure on the
valve- I was taught to turn off my torches this way as a safety
precaution—having no pressure on the regulator in case there was a
leak on the tank—therefore trapping the potential leak between the
tank and the regulator…Effectively closing a door on potential
leaks. Been doing it that way for 20 years and no boom boom yet! Oh
and I have never had to replace a regulator…knock wood

Ciao- Maureen BZ
www.bzapdesigns.com

9

Hi Lisa,

how do people know what pressure is correct for their torch
settings.... proper care of regulator's..... i have four that need
new diaphrams... are there any instructions for tank/regulator
procedures...i just did what i was told and that's not working for
me.....my memory is'nt what it use to be either.

As far as the tank pressure goes, you can’t change that; full tank
pressure is set by industry standards.

Pressures need for the various torches is determined by the design
of the torch & that’s set by the torch manufacturer. Any new set of
torches should have some documentation with them that specify the gas
pressure needed for the Oxy & fuel gas under defined conditions.

If you don’t have the original documentation for your torch or
regulators, contact the manufacturer. They’d rather send you the
specs than loose a potential customer.

Dave