sticking Actylene regulator

Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig. After nearly a
year of non-use, I fired it up over the weekend. Ox side was fine and
working exactly as expected. But the Act. regulator is having the
following issues:

1. With the regulator t-handle unscrewed completely, open the tank
valve, line-guage pressure starts creeping up.
2. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig. Does not
hold at 4 psig, starts creeping up.
3. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig, light
and adjust the torch, will sorta hold the pressure at 4 psig. But as
soon as the torch valve is closed, act. pressure starts creeping up.
4. Unscrew the t-handle, open the torch valve to vent the line,
pressure drops to zero. Close the torch valve, pressure starts
creeping up again.

Now I'm assuming that something in the act. regulator is "stuck open",
otherwise uncrewing the t-handle and venting the line pressure should
drop the line pressure to zero and keep it there. Also, if something
weren't stuck, the reg should hold the line pressure where it is set.

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?

Thanks,
Harry

On Mar 30, 12:33*pm, wright1902glider
wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig.

...

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?



I suggest you call the people who fill your tanks, or from whom you
bought the regulator.

And/or check to see if the regulator's manufacturer has a website.

--

FF

On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:32:47 -0700 (PDT), Fred the Red Shirt
wrote:

On Mar 30, 12:33Â*pm, wright1902glider
wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig.

...

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?



I suggest you call the people who fill your tanks, or from whom you
bought the regulator.

And/or check to see if the regulator's manufacturer has a website.
If it was bought at Princess Auto (in Canada) instead of Harbour
Frieght I'd just take it back and tell them what happened. Their motto
is "we're not satisfied until you are" - and they are pretty good at
it.

wright1902glider wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig. After nearly a
year of non-use, I fired it up over the weekend. Ox side was fine and
working exactly as expected. But the Act. regulator is having the
following issues:

1. With the regulator t-handle unscrewed completely, open the tank
valve, line-guage pressure starts creeping up.
2. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig. Does not
hold at 4 psig, starts creeping up.
3. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig, light
and adjust the torch, will sorta hold the pressure at 4 psig. But as
soon as the torch valve is closed, act. pressure starts creeping up.
4. Unscrew the t-handle, open the torch valve to vent the line,
pressure drops to zero. Close the torch valve, pressure starts
creeping up again.

Now I'm assuming that something in the act. regulator is "stuck open",
otherwise unscrewing the t-handle and venting the line pressure should
drop the line pressure to zero and keep it there. Also, if something
weren't stuck, the reg should hold the line pressure where it is set.

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?

Thanks,
Harry

Sounds like a pin hole in the rubber seal to me. I had one fail this
way too. It was not too difficult to take the regulator apart,
notice the little round rubber disk with a central perforation, and
replace it with one I made from an auto wheel inner tube, with a center
hole punched by a $20 punch equipped with various mandrels (also from HF)

You might think twice before pulling this repair job on an oxygen
regulator however - grease it - and you have a nasty problem to say the
least.

Brian W

On Mar 30, 9:33*am, wright1902glider wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig. After nearly a
year of non-use, I fired it up over the weekend. Ox side was fine and
working exactly as expected. But the Act. regulator is having the
following issues:

1. With the regulator t-handle unscrewed completely, open the tank
valve, line-guage pressure starts creeping up.
2. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig. Does not
hold at 4 psig, starts creeping up.
3. With the tank valve open, screw in the t-handle to 4 psig, light
and adjust the torch, will sorta hold the pressure at 4 psig. But as
soon as the torch valve is closed, act. pressure starts creeping up.
4. Unscrew the t-handle, open the torch valve to vent the line,
pressure drops to zero. Close the torch valve, pressure starts
creeping up again.

Now I'm assuming that something in the act. regulator is "stuck open",
otherwise uncrewing the t-handle and venting the line pressure should
drop the line pressure to zero and keep it there. Also, if something
weren't stuck, the reg should hold the line pressure where it is set.

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?

Thanks,
Harry

It sounds like either a leak in the diaphragm, or a leaking needle /
seat. I used to rebuild my Smith's (brand) regulators whenever one
started misbehaving, until the lawyers "encouraged" the welding
suppliers not so sell parts.

Fred the Red Shirt wrote:
On Mar 30, 12:33 pm, wright1902glider
wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig.

...

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?



I suggest you call the people who fill your tanks, or from whom you
bought the regulator.

And/or check to see if the regulator's manufacturer has a website.

--

FF
He said at the start
It was a Harbor Fart

On Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:52:57 GMT, Jerry Wass
wrote:

Fred the Red Shirt wrote:
On Mar 30, 12:33 pm, wright1902glider
wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig.

...

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?



I suggest you call the people who fill your tanks, or from whom you
bought the regulator.

And/or check to see if the regulator's manufacturer has a website.

--

FF
He said at the start
It was a Harbor Fart
I call it "Harbour Fright"

On Apr 2, 6:52*pm, Jerry Wass wrote:
Fred the Red Shirt wrote:

On Mar 30, 12:33 pm, wright1902glider
wrote:
Hello everyone,

I'm having an issue with my H-F acetylene torch rig.

...

Now my question is, what to do about that? Can the reg be serviced,
and if so, how do I do it? Anybody have any experience in this area?

I suggest you call the people who fill your tanks, or from whom you
bought the regulator.

And/or check to see if the regulator's manufacturer has a website.


He said at the start
It was a Harbor Fart

But we don't know if he reads Chinese or speaks Mandarin, right?

--

FF