Lincoln Electric IM579 manual Water Cooler Usage

C-2 C-2

ACCESSORIES

WATER COOLER USAGE

The Power Wave is equipped with an optional internal water cooler. We recommend using the water cooler when welding above 300 amps with argon blends on a regular basis. The gun heating from pulsing above 300 amps average current is often excessive and leads to reduced consumable life, reduced gun life, and opera- tor discomfort. Water cooling greatly increases the durability of the gun and parts at high current.

There are two water connections on the rear of the Power Wave. See Figure C.1. Connect the water lines between these connectors and those on the wire feed- er. The water is fed through the feeder into the gun.

When a water cooler is used, the water cooler must be enabled by using the Setup Overlay.

The water cooler contains a pressure switch, which is closed when there is adequate pressure in the water cooler hose for normal operation. If this pressure drops, the pressure switch opens. A couple of sec- onds after the pressure switch opens the water cooler shuts down. If the water cooler is enabled and the pressure switch opens, the machine beeps loudly indi- cating that there is a problem with the water cooler operation.

When the water-cooled system is turned on for the first time, the coolant lines must be bled. To accom- plish this, open the return line at the quick-connect fit- ting on the back of the Power Wave power source. The return line is the upper of the two coolant fittings. Place the return hose FROM THE FEEDER into a bucket to catch any spilled coolant and turn the machine off and on several times. Pause each time to allow the cooler to run a complete 3-second cycle. After 8 to 15 cycles, coolant will spray from the return hose with some force, indicating that the system is purged of air. Replace the return line into the quick- connect fitting. The system is bled and ready for oper- ation.

To avoid damage from freezing, the water cooler is shipped without coolant. The fill spout for the water cooling unit is located on the back panel of the machine on the left-hand side. See Figure C.1. The water cooler reservoir must be filled with coolant before use.

Use When Ambient Temperature is Above Freezing: Use tap, distilled, deionized, or well water. Do not use salt water.

Use When Ambient Temperature is Below Freezing: Use a mixture of 50% water and 50% automotive antifreeze, a mixture of 50% water and 50% pure ethylene glycol, or any commercial water alcohol mixture.

Do Not Use: Any prepacked welding industry coolant mixture, such as those offered by Miller, OKI, Bernhard, or Dynaflux. These coolants contain sub- stances which attack plastic components and may shorten the life of the system. Once added, these substances are virtually impossible to purge from the system. DO NOT USE OIL-BASED COOLANTS OF ANY TYPE.

POWER WAVE 450