0 items in your basket
Total £ 0.00 EX VAT
MIG Gloves
TIG Gloves
Baseball Caps
Armguards
TIG Heat Blockers
Shop 55,000 Products
SERVICEDEPT.
RAPID BLOG
FEEDBACK
HIRE
Straight answers to the questions people ask most about flowmeters, cylinder connectors, adaptors and other regulator accessories.
A flowmeter has a small ball or float inside a tapered tube, and the ball rises as the gas flow increases. Mount the flowmeter upright, because it will not read correctly if it is tilted, and set the flow with the torch trigger pressed so that gas is actually moving.The maker's instructions show which part of the ball to read against the scale, often the top of it. Look at the scale straight on, not from above or below, to avoid reading it wrongly. Readings are usually in litres per minute.
The flowmeter only tells you what is leaving the regulator, not what arrives at the nozzle. Leaks in the hose or fittings, a blocked or partly blocked nozzle, a long or kinked hose, and a damaged gas diffuser can all make the real flow at the torch different from the setting.A draught can also blow the gas away from the weld even when the flow is right. If welds show porosity despite a sensible setting, measure the flow at the nozzle and check the whole gas line for leaks.
It is a simple test tube that fits over the torch nozzle so you can see how much gas is really coming out at the point of welding. You press the torch trigger without striking an arc, read the flow from the tube, and compare it with what the flowmeter shows.It is a quick way to find leaks, blockages and wrong settings without welding a test piece. It suits MIG and TIG torches, and it is worth checking after changing a hose, a torch or a nozzle.
A quick connector fits between the cylinder and the hose or flowmeter and lets you connect and disconnect the gas without a spanner. They are common with small and portable cylinders, where cylinders are changed often and speed is useful.Some are fixed-flow types set to a particular flow rate, and others are variable. Check the marking and the instructions for the gas, the flow range and the cylinder type. As with any gas fitting, check the connection for leaks after you make it, and keep it clean and free of oil.
