3 Things you really Shouldn’t do with your Electric Welder

                                      3 Things you really shouldn’t do with your Electric Welder

When it comes to your electric welder there is not much you need to do for maintenance, but there are a couple of things you should never do. Down below, we will be discussing what those three things are, and what are the best ways to avoid them.

Number 1: Do not Ignore Debris

Ventilation

The most dangerous thing for your machine is the electrical components, you must keep your air intake clean. Make sure wherever your machine is positioned, that it is not near dirt or debris that may get sucked in. 

Debris inside any electronic can cause a short on your electrical system either by direct contact (dirt bridges two positive lines together), or by creating enough static electricity from flying around inside.

Consider getting a thin filter when there is no option, simply place it in front of the air vent. The suction itself will maintain it in position.

Depending how old and how well maintained you have your welding machine, you may want to spray some compressed air from the inside outwards, to open up its ventilation and extend the life of your electric welder.

Power

Unfortunately, proper ventilation is not your only concern. You need to pay attention to your power connection. You need to check to make sure there are no pieces of dirt inside the power outlet crevice on your machine. Consider buying a plastic/rubber cover to close it off when not in use.

Note: if you do not disconnect your electrical welder(always in a set position) then you do not need to concern yourself with this.

Number 2: Do not Ignore Electrical Hazards

Understanding Current

An electric welder functions by having a live current on the object you are working on as a negative, and your wire being fed as your positive. When the two touch, it converts electrical current into heat by ionizing the gas particles(air). This in return creates a strong electrical field, which results in an electrical arc. When the positive and negative approach each other. Since our wire being fed is covered in flux, it melts when the electrical arc is present.

Current Hazard

Now that you have an idea of how your electrical welder works, you can actually see that the risk of receiving an electrical shock is nearly the same, if not worse, than working on a closed electrical system(any electronic).

Since an electric welder is basically an open circuit when turned on, you run the risk of being the bridge to closed the circuit, or having current pass through your body.

According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the estimate effects of 60 Hz AC currents of pass through current for your body are the following:

Preventing electrical shock

In order to prevent an electrical shock from our electrical welder, there are a few things we need to keep in mind when welding. 

First off, make sure what you’re working with is properly insulated. Like checking your contact wire, look for any cuts or any visible wire. Also your gun, which throws out your wire, if your gun is breaking apart in any area make sure to replace it completely. Use electric tape to patch the gun or the wire while your replacement part is on its way, if you absolutely have to continue using the welder meanwhile.

Once you have revised all your equipment, now look at yourself. Are you wearing gloves when operating your welder, at all times? If not, make sure to turn off your electrical welder during the time you take off your gloves to ensure you do not accidently touch your positive and negative terminals. It may be an accident or maybe you simply forget, regardless, it only needs to happen one time for you to have a life changing incident.

Lastly, your footwear actually plays a big role here, its your last line of defense. Make sure you have boots with rubber soles, to prevent pass-through current to the ground. In case you forget the rules above, these boots can literally save your life.

Note: Take extra caution when working near water or in humid areas.

Number 3: Limit your use of High Power

False Efficiency

I understand the temptation of keeping your electrical welder on a higher power setting. It melts faster, all you have to do is move your hand faster to balance out the difference. This is technically true, you have to be more on the advanced side to pull it off, but it does not necessarily mean it’s faster overall.

The backdrop of higher risk of melting away your metal (making a hole), outweighs the time you can gain. First of all, most welders will spend more time fixing the holes than the time gained, advanced welders are the only exception. Yet, more advanced welders would have come to understand that the risk is not worth it. It is not simply about covering the hole back, it’s also about the structural integrity of your welds. 

Quality Welds

Whenever you cover a hole with your weld, it’s actually weaker than its surroundings. The bigger the hole, the weaker the patch, likewise the more holes patch the weaker the overall part will be.

This is why more experienced welders would rather take their time, and set the appropriate settings on their electric welder. Doing this ensures you do not damage the metal you’re working on, but hey we understand it happens every now and then, and that is fine. After all, that is the purpose of the machine to put metal together. Just make sure not to take any shortcuts, especially when working on a project that takes on a lot of stress/load.