My regulators, in particular the acetylene regulator, creeps up when I have the gas on the tank turned on and the torch off. I was cutting some 1.25" mild steel yesterday and had the pressure set at 5 psi running (torch on). When I finished up I left the torch off and the tank on for 15 minutes or so, and the pressure gauge showed about 14 psi, which is awfully high.
Normal, cheap reguators (they ain't Harris), or what?
Brian
"Brian" wrote: (clip) When I finished up I left the torch off and the tank on for 15 minutes or so, and the pressure gauge showed about 14 psi, which is awfully high. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This could become dangerous if the pressure continued to creep up. I think I would stop using the regulator. There is a danger of closing the torch valve, and then forgetting to watch it. You could be distracted in a number of ways.
This is indication your regulator needs overhaul as the excessive creep is getting dagerous. A little creep is normal but should be about 1 or 2 PSI.
It isn't normal, but is common. Gas is leaking from the high pressure chamber to the low pressure side. You probably have some dirt/foreign object in the regulator and need to have them rebuilt (one of the pains of regulators).
If you are mechanically inclined you can take them apart and clean them in soapy water/blow them dry. Most of the time you can't get them apart without a holding fixture. The fixture is simple, a pipe that is large enough for the body of the regulator with cutouts for the nipples. A plate welded to the bottom to be held in a vise. You need a large enough wrench to unscrew the body and appropriate wrenches/sockets for the other components. The factory suggests some components always be replaced, but you have to use your own judgement. It is helpful to have the proper torque values when you put it back together, but common sense will work (i.e. don't crank down too hard, it is brass you are working with).
If you are unsure of yourself, buy a swap-meet regulator and take it apart first.
John
If your regulators are anything like mine (UK) then there is a relief valve to protect against over pressure so it's not as dangerous as you may think. Mind you, a sudden blast of gas is quite frightening and could be nasty if you were grinding nearby when it happened. As others have said, get it fixed.
John
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