Project #2 (210 EXT Contest) by DVA: TIG Water Cooler

[DVA]

I needed a water cooler for my 250 EXT so I made a makeshift water cooler that will be integrated into a cart for the 250 EXT when time allows.
Water cooler uses a Flojet pump that is 120 V motor rated at 1.8 gpm but has a very flat pump curve from 1.8 gpm to 0 gpm at about 60 psi. To control the pressure I added a ¼ inch globe valve to allow some water to bypass the flow to the torch. When I first ran the pump there were huge pressure spikes as this pump is a positive displacement pump (~30 psi pulsations). To dampen the pulsations I added a pulsation dampener made out of some extra piping that adds an air bubble to absorb the energy. The pressure pulsations are now about 5 psi with the bypass valve just cracked off the seat. Pump seems to work best when set to about 30 psi, I think this is because of the tuning of the pulsation dampener but the torch receives plenty of cooling with this pressure and I ran the thing at 200 amps for some time with no issues in cooling capability.

Pump costs about $105 shipped and the other fittings were about sixty dollars. Do not forget the five gallon bucket, they are about seven dollars at Home Depot.

[Mike J]

Any idea at that pressure and the hose sizes how my gpm you are making? I was reading somewhere about the pump has to have a good pressure and flow capacity to make sure enough water moves through the system, it looks like you have it. If you are running 30 psi, and linear loading, its about .9 gpm. Hard to compare to the EL unit, the gpm is not stated.

I guess the heat capacity is limited by the bucket, since there is no radiator, correct?

Very nice job!

Cheers,

Mike

[charger891]

Nice set up! i`m using the same pump without the isolator, i`m using a car condenser and the outlet of the condenser is significantly bigger than the inlet, this then illiminated any pulsations at lower pressures, i usually run my cooler at 50 psi

[DVA]

Any idea at that pressure and the hose sizes how my gpm you are making? I was reading somewhere about the pump has to have a good pressure and flow capacity to make sure enough water moves through the system, it looks like you have it. If you are running 30 psi, and linear loading, its about .9 gpm. Hard to compare to the EL unit, the gpm is not stated.

I guess the heat capacity is limited by the bucket, since there is no radiator, correct?

Very nice job!

Cheers,

Mike

I did not measure the flow rate but can do that.

As for heat capacity with a a radiator would help but there is a lot of heat capacity in a gallon of water. I have about 3.5 gallons of water in the cooler and was welding for about 1 hr the other day at 200 amps with a few breaks and with no noticable change in water temp during the one hr. When I build my welding cart I am going to add a radiator to the cooler.