Originally Posted by
WhitsonMetal
I just received a 325ext with a #9 and #20 torch. I have the #9 in use but while checking out the water cooled torch I blew through the lines coming out of it, one blue, one black (not sure which is return or feed, if it matters). I think something is up since blowing through the blue hose sends air out of the torch head. Blowing through the black hose blows air out of the jacketed hose the would connect to the GAS port on the machine. I'm afraid to even hook it up, is this wrong?
The blue is the argon in. The smooth black is the water in to the torch and the large black that comes out of the DINSE plug is the return water. It is always best to blow through to make sure as you did. Everyone seems to want to connect the water return line to the argon, since that is how a gas cooled torch is hooked up. However, water cooled is a totally different beast. The water not only cools the torch, but it cools the power wire. That is why it has to come out of the DINSE plug. Otherwise the power line would need to be a giant cable like your ground cable to handle the power. By water cooling they can run 325 amps through what looks like a little 10 gauge wire.
Everlast might want to redo the drawing of the lines in the manual, since they cross in the picture, you might not notice that the one is shaded and could get them mixed up. It is drawn correctly, but could be a little better.
Last edited by Rambozo; 04-05-2015 at 12:13 AM.
Long arc, short arc, heliarc and in-the-dark!