# How Can I Tell if my Water Cooler is Functioning?



## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

I just burned up a 250A-rated CK Worldwide TIG torch. The torch was 3 years old. The manner in which it failed was that the red hose was burnt, shrunken, and thus obstructed.

The red hose (that has the welding cable in it) had gotten very hot the last time that I used it (which was 12 months ago). What I remember from the last time that I used it was that I was using 210A. My machine is a Dynasty 210DX, and I have never had it shut off due to overworking it. That is, I have never come up against the duty cycle.

At some point, I am going to need to determine if my Miller CoolMate 1.3 is functioning. Has anybody ever been in this position?

I would hate to buy a brand new TIG torch, and have it burn up because the water cooler is not circulating.

To recap, when I took the TIG torch out of storage, the red hose was burnt and shrunken. If it is the case that my water cooler is fine, the water would have not been able to pass through this damaged red hose.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

While this TIG torch was not in use, it was hanging on the machine. I did a *huge* amount of stick welding with that machine. Hence, it is possible that the red hose was damaged by stick welding spatter.


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## matthewsx (May 4, 2022)

I don’t know anything about this particular tool but if I know how you are about tools you’re already looking at the upgraded replacement.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

I found this online, but I am just wondering if anyone else has had the same issue. There is a light in the front of the water cooler. I wonder if that is supposed to come on while it is functioning properly.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

I am always so crazy busy with work hours. I will have to make time to follow the circuit to see if there are any blown fuses or if the water cooler got unplugged or turned off somehow.

Like I said, I have used the welding machine a whole lot for that 12 month period, but it was *all* stick welding. I don’t imagine that would cause the water cooler to stop functioning.

This water cooler lives under the Dynasty on a cart (this is how the cart & both machines are meant to be housed). All of this has been exposed to spatter, smoke, & grinding sparks.


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## General Zod (May 4, 2022)

Disconnect the hose that takes water back into the cooler.  point it into an empty water bottle.  turn on cooler.   empty 1L water bottle should fill in 1min or less. (hopefully at this point you should realize you need to turn off the water cooler to avoid spilling/losing coolant  ). Oh and replace the power hose if it is compromised in anyway. It's only about $50 by itself.


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## Flyinfool (May 4, 2022)

If it sat for a year unused is there a chance that the coolant had things growing in it that plugged up the hose and/or filter and/or pump?

I once did not drain and clean the fresh water tank on the RV at the end of season and just over winter it grew enough algae to plug up everything.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

General Zod said:


> Disconnect the hose that takes water back into the cooler.  point it into an empty water bottle.  turn on cooler.   empty 1L water bottle should fill in 1min or less. (hopefully at this point you should realize you need to turn off the water cooler to avoid spilling/losing coolant  ). Oh and replace the power hose if it is compromised in anyway. It's only about $50 by itself.


I threw away the entire old TIG torch. It was done. It had lived a difficult life.

When you say disconnect the hose that takes the water back into the cooler, I would guess that would be the red hose. I do not yet understand how I would disconnect that, although I would guess it would be at the Dinse connector. I won’t have a chance to do this yet because I do not have a TIG torch (or money for a TIG torch) at this time.

I believe that you have answered my question. I want to somehow test the flow, and see the coolant circulating, without running out of coolant of course.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

I did some Googling, and I read a lot about how old (CK Worldwide?) super flex hoses break down and clog fittings in the torch head & torch hose fittings (e.g. where the coolant returns to the water cooler right at torch end of the Dinse connector fitting).

Apparently there is some sort of fine particles that come off of old super flex hoses and cause blockage downstream.


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## erikmannie (May 4, 2022)

When I bought the Coolmate 1.3 four years ago, it was $615. Now they cost $1,076. That is an 18.7% annual increase in cost!


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## Flyinfool (May 4, 2022)

Could you do a bit of simple plumbing and add a flow indicator to the cooling line?

Something like.....








						McMaster-Carr
					

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.




					www.mcmaster.com


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## erikmannie (May 5, 2022)

Flyinfool said:


> Could you do a bit of simple plumbing and add a flow indicator to the cooling line?
> 
> Something like.....
> 
> ...


Great idea!


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## Aukai (May 5, 2022)

Have you loosened the connection at the cooler to see if it's a dribbler or has pressure? I'd check the same thing at the torch end also


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## mmcmdl (May 5, 2022)

All of our 50 or so cool mates have a ball type flow indicator . Easy to see when they are working or not . These run 24/7 cooling our extruders and are checked nightly by me on my walkthru !   Sometimes the filters get clogged , other times they just need a good cleaning up with new filter material installed . We run the 4 gallon models .


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## erikmannie (May 5, 2022)

I am rushing off to work now, but I will check both of these ideas once I get a torch.


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## pontiac428 (May 5, 2022)

Erik, I have had the same thing happen with the very same CK torch.  In the end, I wasn't sure if it was clogging or exceeding duty cycle.  I replaced it with the same torch and fresh coolant, and all is well.  As for the cooler, you need a couple of things.  First, the fan must run.  Second, the pump must flow.  Third, the coolant must be clean, because as I learned, the orifices in the cooling loop at the torch head are small.  I have an old, simple, and tough Miller Radiator-1 that is probably 50 years old.  It has a flow indicator to make life easy.  I mostly do long duration, lower amperage projects, but the problem has not returned.  Maybe later if I remember, I'll check to see if I still have the torch handle with the melty red tube for comparison.


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## pontiac428 (May 5, 2022)

Edit:  The cheapest coolant to use is DI water, propylene glycol, and benzalkonium chloride for a preservative.  You can make three gallons or better for the price of one pre-mix gallon.  Lasts a long time if clean.


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## G-ManBart (May 20, 2022)

There are a number of possibilities, so I'll run through what I can think of after having gone through 40 or 50 different TIG coolers in the past couple of years.

First off, any water-cooled torch can have the lining break down and get plugged up, but it's far more common when they sit unused for long periods of time.  The normal route of coolant flow is blue out to the torch, and red back to the cooler.  The power wire is in the red line, so there isn't really a lot of extra room for crud buildup.

You should be able to disconnect the red line that goes from the Dinse connector to the cooler input and see what kind of return flow you're getting.  If the pump is turning, the fan should be running since the motor powers both.  Since your cooler doesn't have a flow indicator you might consider adding one...they aren't terribly expensive and can be retrofit from other coolers.  More often than not they're the hamster wheel type.

Since you're getting a new torch the best bet is to drain and flush the cooler.  I like to drain them, then fill them with tap water, drain and repeat a couple of times....get it upside down, shake it around, etc...try to loosen up anything hiding in the tank.  If it's really bad I completely disassemble the cooler to remove the tank and go that route to get it clean.

Your cooler has an in-line filter that should be replaced...I think that model has it pretty close to the filler neck.  What isn't obvious on the user manual or parts manual is that the pump also has a screen that needs to be cleaned or replaced.  When you look at the pump it will have a large, rounded nut...the screen is behind that.  Miller charges a ridiculous amount for them, but I get them on eBay or Amazon quite a bit cheaper.  If you buy a couple to spread out the shipping you can get them down pretty cheap...just replace them every couple of times you replace the coolant.

Once the tank is clean, the filter and screen are replaced I like to fill the tank with tap water and hook up an old hose to the blue output connection and run the system so you're pumping clean water through the entire system...all the fittings, the pump, the radiator, until it's obviously clear water flowing.  That also lets you check the output pressure/volume.  With the output hose held at a bit of an upward angle the water should shoot out at least 5-6 feet...many will send it twice that.

Once everything is flushed and seems to be working I'll drain the tap water, then fill with a couple of gallons of distilled water and pump out as much of that as possible, then drain the last bit.  I do that to try flushing as much of the tap water as possible.  At that point I fill with actual coolant.  Distilled water isn't bad for warm climates, but doesn't have anything to prevent algae and sludge from developing so it will get nasty and need to be replaced every 6-12 months depending on how much you use the welder.  More use is actually better than sitting.

The coolant I've been using is much less expensive than the Miller stuff, but seems to be the same ingredients and level of protection.  At $25 a gallon on Amazon I consider it cheap insurance.  For warm climates a 50/50 mix of this and distilled water would be a good compromise.  Change it every year or two and you aren't likely to have issues.  After going through so many coolers I'm convinced lack of coolant changes, and improper coolant are the two biggest causes of problems.  The worst I've seen had either straight water or automotive green coolant in them....talk about a nasty cleanup job!



			https://www.amazon.com/CANTESCO-CF3-1G-Cooling-Temperature-degrees/dp/B00T46YXHC/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2X0G1C0LLUZP&keywords=tig+coolant&qid=1653056247&sprefix=tig+coolant%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-4
		


These are the screens I get for the pump:









						Procon Pump Screen Pump Strainer Procon# 14163 for sale online | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Procon Pump Screen Pump Strainer Procon# 14163 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com
				




This is the Miller flow indicator from the Coolmate 3.5 and I think others.  It's available from other sources for less money (like Millerserviceparts.com) but they don't have pictures like this one does.



			https://www.amazon.com/Miller-212745-Kit-Flow-Indicator/dp/B004HECI8M


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## erikmannie (May 21, 2022)

G-ManBart said:


> There are a number of possibilities, so I'll run through what I can think of after having gone through 40 or 50 different TIG coolers in the past couple of years.
> 
> First off, any water-cooled torch can have the lining break down and get plugged up, but it's far more common when they sit unused for long periods of time.  The normal route of coolant flow is blue out to the torch, and red back to the cooler.  The power wire is in the red line, so there isn't really a lot of extra room for crud buildup.
> 
> ...


That is *super* helpful.

What climate do you live in? Do you dilute that coolant in the link? 

You went through such a high number of water coolers. That would be crazy expensive.

I will need to get some *time* to flush out the coolant, replace the screen(s), & install a flow wheel. I work so many hours; I barely have time to get on the machine & TIG weld   (funny, though, I can always find time to stick weld on it).


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## G-ManBart (May 21, 2022)

erikmannie said:


> That is *super* helpful.
> 
> What climate do you live in? Do you dilute that coolant in the link?
> 
> ...


I'm in Michigan, but my shop is heated and cooled so I don't worry too much about the coolant.  I use a 50/50 mix just in case the power is out for an extended period of time....should be good to about -15*F with that mix if my memory is correct.

I should have been more specific about "going through coolers".  I meant servicing them, not that they broke.  For a while I was buying and selling welders as a hobby.  Shops would close down and I'd buy the welders, tear them apart, clean them carefully, fix anything that wasn't right, service the coolers, and then put them all back together, test the heck out of them and then sell them.

I started doing that because I wanted to upgrade to a machine with a cooler...got a good deal on one, then found one slightly newer, got that one, sold the first one and kept doing the same thing.  The good thing was I wound up with a couple of incredibly nice machines that are worth way more than I have in them.  Then the pandemic hit and people started fighting over used welders so the prices got to where it isn't worth the effort.


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## erikmannie (May 22, 2022)

Hey, everybody. I realized today that my water cooler wasn’t plugged in. 

It plugs into the Dynasty, and for whatever reason it had become unplugged. I failed to notice this, and I burned up a TIG torch and made this thread before I realized it.

In the picture below, I have the red and blue connections to the water cooler cut off because my old torch was thrown out.

I realized today that, when you plug it in like this, the coolant shoots out of the blue hose for about 20 feet.

If anybody ever wants to check if their water cooler is running, all you would have to do is disconnect the blue hose and coolant should shoot out of that port.

OK, time to top off my coolant.


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## erikmannie (May 22, 2022)

Pictures:


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## erikmannie (May 22, 2022)

Here’s a picture of the 110V water cooler (now) receiving power from the Dynasty.

This power cord is a lot like what you see going from your PC to a 110V wall outlet.


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