250EX first problem

[scar1204]

I have today experieced my first problem ever on my 250EX and would like your assistance in sorting it out please. It's a 3x400V 250EX.

My settings are these:

- DC - HF - Amps set to 40 - Pulse off - Control set to torch trigger - 2T - Preflow 1 sec - Postflow 5 sec

Apparently it does not matter which Amps I set. The issue I am having is that when I press torch switch to start welding, the amps lower themselves to 008 - and remain there for the whole time I am supposed to be welding - Only a tiny puddle is melted so the 008 Amps are what I'm actually getting. When I release the trigger, postflow starts (amps still show 008) and when postflow stops, Amps return back to whatever I had set them initially. So basically my 250EX is now only able to weld at 8 Amps.

Do you have any idea of what might be happening? Or if maybe you might have encountered this problem before?

Thanks and regards

[Rambozo]

Check with the pedal and or 4T to see if there is something with the 2T circuit. It almost sounds like it thinks there is a pedal set to minimum, there are a pair of pins in the plug that are shorted to indicate a pedal is connected. Maybe check your torch switch cable with an ohm meter to be sure those pins are not being bridged by a bit of metal or something. Of course be sure your start/end amps and up and downslope are not set wrong. I would also give all the knobs a few rotations to clean up the wipers inside from dust.

[christian]

Yeah,

And what about "It's a 3x400V" 250EX?

Also, are you saying that it's a 3-phase/400 volt unit?

If so, I'd double-check your power being supplied to it, or, if possible, shift it to 1-phase/240V, if there's a selector somewhere.

[scar1204]

Hi and thanks for your early replies. Yes it is a 3phase 400Volt 250EX and the reason is because I am from Malta- which is a very small country in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. We're in Europe so our supply is 220V 50Hz while in the US it's 60Hz. So the European version of the 250EX only comes in 3 phase.
Power supply might be the problem but I doubt it because at the time, I had to fill in a 1 inch diameter hole in the middle of a thick washer about 3/8 thick so it can be re-drilled to a smaller diameter. I set 150Amps, placed the washer on a piece of scrap bronze as a backing plate so the molten metal wont stick to it and started tigging around the edge going in decreasing concentric circles till I filled the middle. I then turned the washer upside down to fill it properly from the other side. It took about 3 mins of tig at 150A (& a lot of rod) to finish the job. All was fine till now. Then I left welder on while I grinded excess metal from both sides and discovered a little undercut on one side. So I reduced amps to 40 just to fill in undercut and that's when it started to act funny. Kind of - it was ok this minute but not the next.
Anyways, I'll try what Rambozo suggested with 4T and pedal to see if I can find the cause. I also have an Everlast PowerPlasma 80S (also 3 phase) and will check power supply with that to find out if it's the supply. But thanks for the input guys. I'll keep you advised of any improvements for the benfit of everyone. In the meantime, I also emailed technical support but received no reply yet.
Thanks again.

[christian]

Yeah,

I'd be careful to grind near the welder, especially with it turned on, since the fan can suck airborne metal particles onto the circuitboard.

I believe most any Everlast unit can run off 60Hz power here in N.A., as well as with 50Hz elsewhere. But I'm no expert.

[scar1204]

Well, as it turned out, everything is ok now. My 250EX is working perfectly well. I was initially contacted by tech support who asked me to take a voltage reading across the dinse. Mine read 74.7V - which is ok cos OCV is 75V (according to the manual). Then tech support asked me to take off the back panel and the green shell to take a pic of the top board. I proceeded and found a heck lot of dust all over the inside. It was mostly saw dust cos I also do some occasional wood work in same workshop. So I blew all off using dry compressed air - and then did something I was not supposed to do. I re-attached argon hose, earth cable, tig torch plus control and carefully switched it on. I am advising against this but decided to take the risk on mine. I tried a few short runs - and it worked. Apparently what was needed was a good cleaning. I then switched it off and left it for an hour or so to allow caps to discharge. Then hosed everything down with a good quality electronic contact cleaner. Left it overnight to dry up completely (according to instructions on spray can) and closed everything up the following morning. Now it's working like new.
So for all you guys, the moral of the story is - clean the electronics every so often!!
Thanks for the support...now going to do same proceedure to my plasma - cos never cleaned that either.
The only thing I am not fully happy with is - when the 250EX was open, I searched for hf contact points - knowing that eventually one day, I'll have to close the gap on these. I found them but am figuring out it's not going to be easy cos they are not facing the open side from where one could easily insert a feeler gauge in between....but that's a problem for another day. Right now all is fine.

[performance]

For the record, our manuals tell you to open them up and clean them out on a quarterly basis, more often if needed.

[christian]

Hey,

Nice save, Everlast Support, from whichever continent!

[performance]

Everything Everlast in USA is from North America as far as support.