Well, having spent ages cleaning, changing filters etc etc, I finally sat down and wrote a long email to Dr Q , describing all the symptoms (noise, vibration, lack of pressure) and it seems that my oxycon is beyond economical repair (sob!)
Luckily, since I only bought it just over a year ago, I have another on the way at a very good price, but still, no glassy treats for me for a while (not that I'm in any danger of actually running out of glass for at least another 6 months!!!!)
Of course, it started to play up on the first day of school hols, and will arrive next week, when I only have 2 days left before going back to work, so I'm a bit frustrated at losing almost all my torching time, but at least I will now be able to maintain a steady flame without the entire shed resonating!!!
Eek - that's the same symptoms as mine. I'll get on to Sean now as mine is under a year old!
Sorry to hear about yours though!
Kazx
:( Oh dear mine started playing up last weekend too and after reading bits on here they don't like the damp and cold and mine lives in my 'shudio' in the garden and the Welsh weathers tends to be a little damp... I have brought it into the house to see if I can get it to work again when it nice and warm. It suddenly started to set the alarm off and stop generating the oxygen usually mid bead of course..... its over its twelve months too!!
Well, okay. You may be able to pull out the fan and replace it. And then have a look at all the yellowy tubing. If there's a leak somewhere in there it will not behave properly. "They" don't bother (at least, in the case of the three that I have) - to replace the silicon tubing when they "recondition" these units and after a period of time they will go brittle and crack. If you can replace the tubing where necessary and maybe have a look at the foam insulation you might be able to make it a little better? PM me and maybe we can sort something out if you want to pass it on to me for spare or repair or it might be fixable. Where abouts are you?
South Wales .... your right the tubes had perished so we replaced the ons that connect to outlet and the guage and it seemed to work so excitedly I started making beads but half a dozen later it started spitting at my torch and seemed to start losing pressure again but looks like the fans not going round now ...it also started feeling warm and the alarm kicked in again so maybe the fans had it as well ...... the insulation its a sticky mess too .. help ???
I would say it's not a write off but it sounds like it need a bit of TLC. You can get a replacement fan, pull it out and have a look,. Most of the fans are just "push in" type fitting. You'll probably find something similar at Maplins: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=fan&source=15
If the thing has been sounding like an aircraft taking off when in operation then the fan could do with a replacement, the unit will not work without the fan and you will get the red light of doom. And of course it will heat up.
The insulation is just a nightmare. If you strip it all out it will be as loud as hell but of course all the loose bits need cleaning up. Don't chuck the oxycon as most of these bits are quite cheap and easy to obtain and you'll be as chuffed as anything if you can fix it yourself. BTW - one of my oxycons is over five years old(that's a kiss of death, saying that! ::))
Blimey Sal, we should sign you up as our oxycon expert, you are a wealth of brilliant knowledge :o
(I'd like an Ask Sal column)
Anything is possible in exchange for cold hard cash $$$$ ;D
I've had quite a lot of experience with the oxycons as people seem to buy them from "suppliers" and then ring me up out of the blue on a Sunday night to ask me, of all people to fix them, over the phone. Dunno why this happens. ???