What do you use in your torch cooler?

[Gwaltnak]

I'm getting ready to purchase (or maybe make my own) torch cooler. And in my research, the biggest thing I hear about is evaporation, and corrosion. Has anybody ever looked into putting Evans waterless coolant in their cooler? Here is their website, and tell me what you think...

http://www.evanscooling.com/products/coolants/

If you disagree, please let me know why, and try to be respectful, we are all adults, and should be able to share our feelings/opinions as such. Thanks.

[Kempy]

I'm getting ready to purchase (or maybe make my own) torch cooler. And in my research, the biggest thing I hear about is evaporation, and corrosion. Has anybody ever looked into putting Evans waterless coolant in their cooler? Here is their website, and tell me what you think...
If you disagree, please let me know why, and try to be respectful, we are all adults, and should be able to share our feelings/opinions as such. Thanks.

I am using PowerWeld Coolant for the last 6 years and it is still as clear from the first day I put it in and it is made for Plasma, TIG and MIG radiator circulator and recirculator systems. It is only about $18.00 for 4 Liters the Everlast cooler uses 8 Liters.
I see the Evans is $50.00 for 1 gallon I have three Everlast water coolers that is almost the cost of a new pump. I see the Evans coolant is for automobiles high temperature if you ever got it to even 100 deg. F you are in trouble I think it is a over kill you will never use it for what it is made for.
The Everlast cooler are closed with a little vent mine has only gone down 1/8" in over one year of use they don't get hot enough to evaporate. I made a cooler once never again to many problems keeping the pressure down.

[Blaster]

I've read that you're not supposed to use the Green silica based, automotive, coolant. BUT, that Dexcool is pretty much what the "cooler" fluids actually are.

It's what I'm using and available at WalMart

[DaveO]

I read that you CAN use RV plumbing antifreeze. That Evans fluid looks interesting but seems pricey.

[Kempy]

I read that you CAN use RV plumbing antifreeze. That Evans fluid looks interesting but seems pricey.

In the north some of the welders use the Pool antifreeze it is environment friendly like the plumbing antifreeze but it evaporate very easily with the high percentage of ethanol in it and it burns also. The welding coolant dose not have ethanol in it, it uses ethylene glycol it dose not burn.

[Gwaltnak]

Sorry it has been so long since I have responded, life has been hectic! I understand that the Evans coolant is pricey, but aren't you guys worried about corrosion inside your torch head?

[dirtyfarmer]

Sorry it has been so long since I have responded, life has been hectic! I understand that the Evans coolant is pricey, but aren't you guys worried about corrosion inside your torch head?

I used the pink RV antifreeze along with a little automotive water pump lube additive, and it seemed to work fine in my home-made cooler set-up, until I noticed some algae floating in the tank. After pricing algaecide, I changed to commercial welder coolant, from my LWS. No more trouble after two years.

[Gwaltnak]

Ok everybody, thank you all for your responses! I decided to go the easy rout and purchase the commercial coolant. This is what I purchased...


But the following picture has me worried... I says there can not be any aluminum in the coolant path.



Is everybody 100% sure there is no aluminum in the coolant path?

[Rambozo]

Is everybody 100% sure there is no aluminum in the coolant path?

The example in the Everlast video all the wetted parts were stainless, copper, brass, and plastic/vinyl. To be sure you might want to inspect yours, just in case. Sometimes parts suppliers make changes and that info doesn't always make it back to HQ. A good time to also check for leaks and snug the hose clamps after it has had a few heat cycles,too.

[Gwaltnak]

I opened it up and took a picture of the insides, if you can see the couplings they are definitely aluminum. So, now what?

[Rambozo]

I opened it up and took a picture of the insides, if you can see the couplings they are definitely aluminum. So, now what?

Where? All I see is the one brass one for the pressure relief. If you are talking about the crimp sleeves, they don't matter as they are not a wetted part. Same with the radiator fins, doesn't matter as they never should touch fluid.

[Gwaltnak]

The only exposure I have to scrimp sleeves is making hydraulic lines for the fire engines, and those fit both inside and outside of the tubing so they can crimp the tubing, therefore exposing the fluid path to the material that the sleeves are made of. Is that not how these are designed to?

[Rambozo]

The only exposure I have to scrimp sleeves is making hydraulic lines for the fire engines, and those fit both inside and outside of the tubing so they can crimp the tubing, therefore exposing the fluid path to the material that the sleeves are made of. Is that not how these are designed to?

This is very low pressure, there is just a hose barb made of the fitting material that you can see (brass) and the sleeve just acts as a hose clamp. If you wanted to you could even cut off the aluminum, and replace it with a stainless clamp. However, there is no need. This kind of fitting is used all the time for low pressure fluid and air. The different parts can be made of different materials. You will often see steel or brass barbs, with aluminum or steel sleeves. Not the best pic, but it shows the basic layout.

[Blaster]

Not that low - right?

When I went through the cooler I'm using, and old Miller "one" I was given, the general cooler specs I found was that it should have 65psi (surprised Me) but once I started using the CK torch I was glad it did! I see very little flow in the "glass" and called CK about it. They had me measure the quantity it pushed through the torch in 1 min (a Fraction of what the torch my PP256 came with) and it was right on.

To the OP, I'm tellin' ya,,, -> DEXCOOL! (no incompatibility issues with metals)