Oxycon is Saying "Low Oxygen" *UPDATED*

[Vicki.White]

I noticed that when I was making a bead that the bit of the flame at the bottom last gets smaller when you turn your oxygen on was about 3 cm high... I have had a play around, and it stays fine for the first like 10 mins and the oxygen goes low... any ideas?

Vicki x

*** Now its saying "Service Required" ... now what I don't even have a proper instruction manual for my oxycon... I'm gutted I've only had it a month!!!!  *** has anyone else had this happen to them??? what did you do?

[Funky Cow]

When I first had my oxycon I had a problem with the flame growing and shrinking, but I had the oxy set too high at 5 litres per min. Mine likes to be at 4.5 litres per min, if I turn it up above this I get the wheezy growing and shrinking flame thing. I never turn down the oxy tap, but always have it fully open (except obviously for a very short period I turn it off when lighting then torch when I open the propane a tiny bit to light it, and then whack the ox tap open to full as fast as possible and then adjust my flame with the propane tap)

Don't know if this helps at all  I think your oxycon is more sophisticated than mine, I don't think mine has a place for giving me messages 

Cathryn

[Funky Cow]

Oh - and do you leave it running for a while before you light the torch for it to get up to speed? I leave mine for about 8 minutes

[Vicki.White]

lol, no I'm guess I have the same oxycon as you, it just has 2 light that above them, one of them says low oxygen and the other says service required.

I turn it on, and for the first like 15 mins it is absolutely fine... then the low oxygen light comes on then it goes off and the service required light goes on... I think I will have to call Tuffnells tomorrow can't have it not working... i'm devastated!

x

[Funky Cow]

I seem to remember someone having this trouble before....

Martin will sort it I'm sure, especially as you've only had it for such a short time

[Dragonfire Glass]

Don't forget - oxycons are for patients requiring oxygen to breathe, not lampworkers!
The low oxygen is more than likely for the patient, not the torch 

[garishglobes]

Mine is just going back with much the same problem. 
So this'll be the second weekend minus an oxycon.     
But then, having done 48,000 plus hours, I guess it might be justified in feeling a little tired!

[Kaz]

One of my new ones is behaving the same and I have just been switching off, leaving for a few minutes and then switching back on. Because I work on a Lynx, the other one keep it going just enough to keep any bead I am working on warmish and then I continue when it comes back on. I think mine may be going back too.
Kazx

[Pat from Canvey]

the other one keep it going just enough to keep any bead I am working on warmish and then I continue when it comes back on. back too.

You could just garage the bead for a few minutes until the oxycon revives itself and then take it out and resume work on the bead. I do this if I fancy a break or the doorbell rings. I do always turn the torch off though if I'm going to the door.

[Vicki.White]

Yeah, I'm gunna give him a call this morning... with the low oxygen thingy... when It goes funny... I can't use my silver glass cuz it just reduces it instantly... really hope I don't have to send it away 

[ejralph]

Is your working area very cold or damp?

I found the oxycons really don't like either. Since I moved mine inside, they have been green-lighting all day and its very rare to see them go onto amber or play up at all.

Hope you get it sorted out soon

Emma

[glassworks]

ditto really what everyone is saying... they really REALLY don't like cold moist air at all - it clogs up the zeolite "lungs" with moisture... another candidate is the filters... an oxycon is basically an air pump - ANY reduction of air getting in leads directly to lower air coming out... please makes sure that the one on the back is "knocked out" regularly and even wash it out every now and then... the one inside is the critical beastie though, because it is designed to trap the really really fine particles this one can block up quick in a dusty (or smokey) environment...

if you have one of those with the compressed air tap on the front try opening that every now and then.. this bleeds all the water out of the system (if there is any that is)...

in terms of overall hours - that is less important really as all units get fully reconditioned throughout their lives in hospitals.. the "hobbs" hour clock on the front is just an idea of the total hours the machine has been in service (to help the hospitals know when they need swapping out)...

[Kaz]

Mine only arrived last week

[ejralph]

Q, how do we get the filter inside on the PB oxycons?

It is relatively straightfoward to get those filters out to clean them, or are there any pitfalls we need to know about before dismantling the machines?

Emma

[JaySpangles]

My yellow Oxygen Low light is on most of the time, but it doesn't affect the running.  I took it to Martin who said all was ok and the light was mainly for the benefit of hospital users.  I had been running it too high initially and kept getting loads of irritating beeping noises.  Now I never run it above 4 and have no trouble.  I do find the flame varies in the first 10 minutes of working and then settles down.

J