Frit-Happens !

Technical Forum => Studio/workspace/setup/equipment => Oxycon/Oxygen/Propane => Topic started by: Billie on May 27, 2010, 04:45:34 PM

Title: Oxycon maintenance
Post by: Billie on May 27, 2010, 04:45:34 PM
Sieve beds

Quote from: glassworks on November 29, 2007, 04:45:46 PM
just a general note about a long chat i have had today with our oxycon suppliers here in Belgium.. we have also had a spate of queries about intermittent and slow running oxycons and have replaced a number of them as a precaution.. these replaced units are now working their way back to us and i took some in today to the tech department at the oxycon guys to try and find out why they seem to be falling over a bit more than we would expect..

after taking a few apart there is one thing which is notable in most of them, and that is that the sieve beds (lungs) have got a lot of moisture in them.. this is the equivalent of pneumonia for oxycons as the "wet" sieve beds make it difficult or impossible for the oxycons to deliver oxygen, and lead to the electronics reducing the flow rate more and more to compensate - and in some cases this is the direct cause of the failure of the unit..

my guys are happy enough to rebuild the sieve beds and replace them with new ones - at a relatively good cost too - but he is very clear that the combination of cold and wet conditions is making itself felt.. his advice was to try and ensure the units are breathing warm and DRY air - apparently it is NOT the temp of the unit itself that is the problem..

i would really REALLY appreciate an idea from everyone where they are using their oxycons, and if they notice more trouble during the colder and wetter snaps?.. my guys think they may be able to rig units up ("winterise" them) for colder conditions - but it is the cold wet air which they feel will need to be addressed..

any feedback or hints and tips i would be grateful if they can be posted here?..

8)

on a separate note - if i continue to buy in the volumes i am buying - i can get a good price on brand new units.. this may not be the way forward for everyone, but i believe there is a group of regular lampworkers that would like the certainty of brand new, fully warranteed units - which as a lamp worker you will NEVER wear out.. what do people think?..


Title: Oxycon tips and tricks
Post by: Billie on May 27, 2010, 04:48:41 PM
Checking for faulty pipes...

Quote from: Redhotsal on April 10, 2010, 11:56:00 PM
... if it's the old style "squarish" one you'll have to flip it onto its side and locate the screw at the bottom. It's a long screw that runs across the unit. You can then open it up like a book. Not sure about the newer "tetrapak" shaped ones, however.

Inside there will be lots of silicon pipes. It's worth checking them to see if there's an obvious leak. Be careful though, as as these units get old the connectors become very brittle. You also get a lot of broken down foam from the sound proofing. It might be worth cleaning up the loose bits as general maintenance if you are delving in there.

The other obvious problem is that the fan can work itself loose. If the problem is such that the unit works for a while and then cuts out logical kind of suggests that as the fan gets hotter it works itself loose. If the fan stops working for any reason the unit will shut itself down, so it's worth checking the fan connections.
If you're going to operate it while it's open just make sure you don't touch any bits which you shouldn't!
Title: Oxycon tips and tricks
Post by: Billie on May 27, 2010, 04:54:14 PM
Oxycon overheating...

Quote from: Redhotsal on February 11, 2010, 08:43:29 PM
The fan is either buggered or has lost it's connection. Open it up (opens right down the middle - but make sure you unscrew the retaining screws first.)  Dont' know what model you have but you should look for a  a square black fan - about 5inches across. They usually have bayonet type connectors. It may have worked its way loose so make sure it is pushed right in. If it is and it's not working you will need a new fan.
Title: Re: Oxycon maintenanace
Post by: Billie on May 27, 2010, 06:43:18 PM
Quote from: glassworks on December 17, 2009, 01:16:02 PM
all righty then.... quick "oxycon check up tutorial!"...  ;D ;D

there are two filters on most oxycon's... the big one on the back which filters the biggest fluff and rubbish out of the air, and which can be knocked clean in a jiffy... the smaller one on the inside of the  machine is the one to really get at occasionally... this fine filters the air heading into the pump, and is critical to the oxycon working... on the older model machines it is even more important as the valves (of the air pump) get very VERY easily knackerd by the fine dust particles.. the later model is somewhat more resistant as the valves are ceramic, HOWEVER, both models need (and indeed deserve) warm dry air to work at their best!..

the older style unit has two screws, one top and one bottom, which when undone allow it to be opened like a book with the case hinged at the back.. pry, lever, wiggle and curse the filter off the pipe and replace.. it IS a tight fit - so be careful and take your time.. on the newer style oxycons the case comes apart by undoing the screws on both sides.. just a 90 degree turn will do it, they are just catches.. the sides clip off, allowing you to seperate the front and back covers too.. on the side you will see the same little fine particle filter... this is also cursed off as above, and the new one slid back on..

while you have the covers off either machine it is a great idea to wipe all the visible dust and junk off with a damp cloth, you'll be amazed how much rubbish gets into the boxes... reverse the instructions above and viola, a clean and happy beastie to keep your oxy flowing...

what kills oxycons more than anything else is cold, wet, humid, dusty air.... these beasties are designed to run for thousands of hours without a hitch IF THEY ARE NICE AND WARM INSIDE!!!..  8) 8) 8) reality is most of ours are in studios wedged in where they can be, but with a little care and cleaning they should give service for ages and ages...

i am sure martin would like to add his tips and tricks here too... anyone with a specific issue on either machine is welcome to ask me directly via msg, or on the post here?.. we do not list them on the shop because we send them out free to whoever wants them?.. maybe an idea to list them on the same page though so that anyone wanting one or two chucked in the box with their order can do so?...  8)
Title: Re: Oxycon maintenance
Post by: garishglobes on November 10, 2010, 03:09:12 PM
Quote from: Redhotsal on November 09, 2010, 11:30:13 PM
Rob,
It may be the fan. If it shuts off after five minutes it could be that the fan is becoming loose when the thing heats up. Dropping the concentrator from a couple of inches is usually an attempt to reseat the fan but as you can imagine it's not exactly an elegant solution. Best to open it up and have a look for yourself.

Open it up and make sure the fan is pushed in well - it's a push in connection, so if after five minutes it's heated up and may have come adrift. It could also be that the fan is buggered - so after a few minutes it may be over heating. Do you get the red light or is it just shutting itself off? If it's been particularly noisy it may be that the fan is on its way out and it's time to replace.

The red light is often some kind of over heating issue (fan not working properly), but if it has just shut itself off it may be that there is some kind of small hole in the internal tubing inside the concentrator. When the thing is cold the hole may not be exposed but may open up as everything heats up. If there is any kind of internal oxygen leak it will just shut itself off.

Open the thing up and check all the tubing. If it's all brittle and cracked there's your problem. You may need to get hold of some silicon tubing, a few cable ties and re-tube the thing.
Fans:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Family.aspx?Menu=1649&Worldid=-3
You should find a matching one here - check the spec on your fan and just match it up.

Silicon Tubing:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/DPH-Silicone-Hose
You'll need to match up the diameter of the tubing that's on your concentrator but someone like the above link should do what you want.

Hope this helps.