leaky gauge how to fix I've tightened hoses ,taped threads, made sure it was tight

I've tightened the hose's taped the threads made sure it's in straight & tight to the tank I had half a tank turned off machine & went in house for a cup came back tank is empty First time it happened I just didn't turn it off & lost a whole (150) I think the gauge has never been any good I'm down a hunski $$$ for gas I'm brand new at this tig thing . had the machinetwo years & just getting around to trying it out didn't really need it just wanted to learn tig Practiced for about three hours things got busy in my business(steelsmith metal art) I do gates & railings, trelleses, steel bamboo ect forged flowers, ect & Vancouver(washington) farmers market. Had my best years this last two I guess a big thanks goes out to OB hahahahaha I know ya'll hate him but things are better at least for me . had a complete shoulder replacement 30 days ago & can't lift anything so I sat down again to learn to tig Getting a little better just getting the right setting is harder than the actual welding I think . I find if the heat ain't right nothing else will fall into place . Finally got the right heat on welding with steel & the bead was looking a lot better. Stainless is harder & alum not sure I actually found it the eaisest I hate that big honking torch whooo boy who ever invented that baby must have hands like an NBA player Very stiff & heavy I need to change it out or atart lifting weights Anyway hi I'm closer to 71 than 70 white ( with an attitude) love welding & making things out of nothing, used to be house framer , truck driver , dock worker (Teamster retired) that's retired not retarted ok lets get that straight right off hahahah I will send pics as soon as I figure out how this whole thing works You would have thought I was Al Quiada? what with how hard it was to get into this forum . Now that I'm here I hope I can find some good conversation don't wnat to argue or get into a pissing match just plain straight forward ansewers to my problems & if I can help one of you I will Believe me, I've messed up a lot of steel We all make mistakes but the good ones know how to fix them. don't have to reinvent the wheel just improve on it . What I mean is

Welcome. Did you get your leak fixed or not? What kind of machine are you using?

I'm also brand new at TIG welding, and I agree - without having advice from the folks on here and from Jody at WT&T, I wouldn't even know where to start for settings.

My regulator (cheapy from Harbor Freight) has a slow leak if it's open, but doesn't leak if it's completely closed, so I'm convinced I have the fittings tight. I didn't use any teflon tape or any sealant, because all the connections are brass compression fittings. I still turn off the main valve when I'm done, though, just to be sure I don't leak anything out.

I think I read somewhere that you might have problems if you don't completely open the main valve on the bottle - like there could be a leak around the seal if it wasn't totally seated in the 'OPEN' position, but don't know for sure.

Ouch- losing a whole 150! Do you have *any* pressure left? If yes you might get after it with some soapy water to find the leak. Paint it on with a paintbrush or drip it on with a rag. (Don't mean to be preachy, sorry if you knew that already.)

My regulator leaks a little and I have to make sure that I close the tank valve if I leave the welder unattended even for a few minutes. When the cylinder was full at 2200psi, I would open the tank valve, close it, and the needle would only take 5 minutes to hit zero (!!!), but once the cylinder pressure dropped to around 1500 psi, it stopped leaking altogether for some reason. Don't ask, I have no clue and simply attribute it to magic and Jesus!;)

I'm in need of another cylinder (emptied the first one welding!) so now I will see if it's actually the cylinder's seat or the ball on the regulator that is leaking when I get the replacement cylinder. I don't have another regulator or cylinder to verify which component is leaking, and I was planning to buy a decent regulator in the future anyways.

This may be obvious (but in case you didn't already know), you should "crack" your cylinder valve open for a split-second before connecting the regulator to the tank. This will eliminate any debris in the threads. I've even gone to the extreme of using a lint free cloth and some degreasing solvent to wipe both the ball and the brass seat clean (and film free) on my setup since I have had issues with it leaking. Check for gouges or signs of over tightening (grooves), plus check that your regulator ball is smooth and no plating is peeling (if plated).

Also (this may be obvious as well) but no oil, sealant, or any kind of tape should be used on the tank valve threads or regulator (seat threads).

Good luck with your "new" shoulder, that's quite the ordeal to go through! Get the neighbor kid to lift your replacement tank into place for you! I still can't believe it's $92.00 to exchange my 150 CF tank!

I've gotten into the habit of bringing a spray bottle with soapy water in it to check my bottles when i go exchange them at the welding gas shop. When they give me a new bottle I check it with the soapy water. I've recieved 2 bottles in the passed year that were leaking at the bottle threads. For busy shops it' might not be an issue but for a hobbiest that welds sporadically it's a big deal. At $90 a fill , thats a lot of money to just let blow out into the atmosphere.

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Originally Posted by xalky

I've gotten into the habit of bringing a spray bottle with soapy water in it to check my bottles when i go exchange them at the welding gas shop. When they give me a new bottle I check it with the soapy water. I've recieved 2 bottles in the passed year that were leaking at the bottle threads. For busy shops it' might not be an issue but for a hobbiest that welds sporadically it's a big deal. At $90 a fill , thats a lot of money to just let blow out into the atmosphere.

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I'll have to remember to try that. I have a feeling a bottle or two back I must have gotten a bad one. I know I shut it off, and didn't use it much, but before I knew it, I was out. One thing I have noticed is that with a lot of dish soaps and such being phosphate free and low foaming, I now just get a bottle of kids bubbles for leak checking with a spray bottle. Dirt cheap and very low residue. It seems to find the smallest leaks with no trouble.

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Originally Posted by xalky

recieved 2 bottles in the passed year that were leaking at the bottle threads.

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Leaking where the valve threads into the bottle? Wouldn't have seen that one coming. I like the bubble fluid idea. We always stock up anyway, the kids will be tickled to see me using it for something else.

Yes, exactly where the valve threads into the bottle. It might be a conspiracy to sell more gas.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

I had one that leaked at the treads in the bottle also. I taped it and it still leaked. Finally I got out a big ### wrench and tighted it pretty tight. Havent had a problem with it leaking since. I also found some leaks at the hose connecting to the machine and regulator. You can try to double clamp it though.

Taping it is kinda hard to do when its filled with 2000 psi of gas. I tried to tighten one with a wrench and i was really afraid to brake the brass valve which would have released the gas and turned that tank into a torpedo. I did manage to tighten one a little and the leak got worse, which is when i decided to return it for a new tank. It made no sense for me to try and fix their tank. Plus, if i failed at the repair, they would have blamed me for ruining their tank. They gave me a fresh new full tank, no questions asked after i showed them the leak.

Leaks on the low pressure side of the valve are much easier to fix.

I have had this issue with other tanks, usually older. Problem was the brass mating surface had tiny imperfectinos / pits. Try removing the gauge and lightly polish the mating surfaces of the gauge and the interior surface of the valve with some fine grit paper (1500 or 3000), or 000 wool, Blow out dust with air and try again. Need to crank it on with a wrench, hand tighten will not due, but only about 40 ft lbs of torque is needed. Any more, and you are using too much. (if you have a Torque wrench, set it at 40 and get the feel on a lug nut, so you know what it feels like).