Victor Gas Equipment Torches & Safety

[SOUND] Before looking closer at torch
handles, we need to explain a few terms

and understand some of the hazards
associated with oxy-fuel equipment.

The terms are reverse flow, flashback,

backfire, and sustained backfire.

Reverse flow is when either the oxygen
enters the fuel gas side of the system,

or the fuel gas enters
the oxygen side of the system.

This occurs when there's
a restriction of one of the gases or

an imbalance of pressure.

This can be caused by a clogged or
blocked tip, or

allowing one of your
cylinders to run out of gas.

If a reverse flow condition exists,
a flashback can occur.

Flashback is the retun of a flame
through the torch into the hose and

even into the regulator.

It could potentially reach the cylinder.

This condition could cause an explosion
anywhere within the system.

Flashback arrestors are designed to
prevent the flame from traveling

beyond the point of the arrester.

Flashback arrestors contain
a sintered filter which prevents

a flame from passing
through the filter element.

Backfire is the return of
a flame back into the torch,

which produces a popping sound.

The flame will either extinguish or
reignite at the tip.

This is normally the result of
accidentally bumping the tip against

the workpiece, operating the tip
too close to the workpiece, or

allowing the tip to become overheated.

The last event is a sustained backfire.

This is when a backfire occurs and
continues burning in the torch.

This condition may be accompanied
by a popping sound followed by

a continuous whistling or hissing sound.

Some of the causes for this are improperly
maintained equipment, overheating of

the equipment, or improper pressure
settings for the equipment being used.

[SOUND]
>> This is a typical Victor handle.

On most of our popular handles,

you'll notice there'll be a built-in flash
arrester and a built-in check valve.

One of the misconceptions in our industry
is a check valve will stop a fire,

that's not true.

What a check valve is designed to do is
to stop the gas from getting on the wrong

side of the torch.

A flash arrester is
designed to stop a fire.

A flash arrester will stop the fire
from advancing further up the system.

>> And if your torch doesn't have
a check valve or flashback arrestor it,

we strongly recommend that you
install them before operating.

>> And if you do, you may have heard
it there, you put them at the torch or

the regulator or both places.

And if you decide to put them at
the regulator and at the torch,

make sure you check with
the manufacturer's data sheet to make sure

it will not restrict flow to your torch.

[SOUND]
>> To reiterate what Tim said,

the best rule is to have safety devices
as close to operation as possible.

This means incorporating check valves and
flashback arrestors into the torch.

[SOUND]
>> This is a typical Victor handle.

It's designed to deliver the gas
in a safe manner to the mixer.

One of the big misconceptions in our
industry is that the mixer is in

the handle, and that's not true.

Each individual component
has its own mixer.

Today, we're gonna talk about heating and
cutting,

the most popular uses of the torch.

>> And this is a heating attachment.

A heating attachment can be used for
heat treating, priming,

descaling, straightening,
many other options.

Before you use this heating attachment,

you need to be sure to check the cone
end of your attachment has two O-rings.

And on those O-rings, you have to make
sure they're neither missing nor damaged.

That could lead to a leak that
might lead to an accident.

So be sure to repair them or
replace them before using.

>> And
here's the typical cutting attachment.

Do the same inspection on the cone end,
as Ken just advised.

In addition, we also wanna make sure that
we check the seating end for the tip, no

dents or scratches in here, because this
will eventually be a metal-to-metal seal.

Before attaching the cutting
attachment to the torch,

we wanna inspect the exceeding area of the
torch handle and also the thread assembly.

Then you wanna attach them,
hand-tighten only.

At this point, if we use a wrench on it,
you're gonna damage the O-rings.

So we're gonna hand-tighten this on there,
all right?

After you get that on,
one of the things we wanna do,

we're now gonna take and open this
preheat valve all the way on the handle.

If we don't open it all the way, you'll
get a restriction in your cutting oxygen.

This will now be your preheat
adjustment for your oxygen.

Now, we'll take a look at the tip.

You wanna make sure you can inspect the
tip on the end, make sure preheat holes

are free of debris, and
the cutting hole itself is free of debris.

You also wanna check the seating end.

This is going to be a metal-to-metal seal,
so

we gotta make sure there's no scratches or
dents in the system.

Now, unlike the cutting
attachment to the handle,

we'll now tighten this on with a wrench,
and

you need to tighten it securely
because of the metal-to-metal seal.

We'll then take a look at
the cutting lever itself,

make sure it moves freely, there's no
resistance, and we're ready to go.

[SOUND]
>> Your torch inspection checklist should

include the following, inspect valves,
fittings, and seating areas for damage.

Ensure both O-rings are intact and
in place.

Ensure the torch is free from oil and
grease.

Make sure the tips are free from slag or
obstruction.

[SOUND]
>> Manufacturers such as Victor provide

tip charts, and they help you to
determine the proper flow settings.

Note that alternate fuels
use different tips,

and they require different
pressure settings.

>> The thickness of your plate would
determine what tip you use, and

in turn, the tip will determine
what pressures I need.

Take, for example, this is a number
one acetylene cutting tip, and

I'll set my pressures at 25 PSA on
the oxygen and about 5 on the fuel gas.

If I would change thickness and, say, go
to an inch plate, I'd also have to change

the tip to a number two and my pressures
would be different at the regulator.

So I'd refer to the tip charts
that Ken had mentioned earlier.

[SOUND]
>> If you don't have tip charts,

ask your equipment supplier to
help with recommended settings.

Also remember the one-seventh rule for
using acetylene.

Make sure you have adequate capacity
from the acetylene cylinder to support

the acetylene consumption
of the tip you're using.

After connecting the attachments and tips,

you need to check the entire system for
leaks.

The steps to perform a leak
test are as follows.

First, ensure that the adjusting
mechanism is completely backed out.

Open the gas slowly until the high
pressure gauge reading stabilizes,

then shut off the cylinder valve.

Monitor the gauge for any pressure drop,

which would indicate a leak of
the high pressure side of the system.

If no leak is evident,
open the cylinder valve and

adjust the oxygen regulator
to deliver 20 PSI.

Repeat the process with the fuel
gas valve and regulator, but

be sure to adjust the fuel gas
regulator to deliver only 10 PSI.

Close both the oxygen and
fuel cylinder valves.

Turn the adjusting screw or
knob counter clockwise one-half turn.

Observe the gages on both regulators for
a few minutes.

If the gauge readings do not change,
then the system is leak tight.

Open the cylinder valves again.

Any movement of the needles
indicates a possible leak.

If you observe a leak, stop.

Do not use leaking equipment.

Check all the connections.

If you can't find the leak,

have the equipment inspected
by a qualified technician.

Just like we purged a cylinder valve and
hoses earlier, we need to purge the torch.

In this case, it's to eliminate the
possibility of gases mixing prematurely,

which could lead to a flashback or worse.

>> To purge the torch,
the first thing you wanna do is

open the oxygen valve on
the torch handle all the way.

And with a cutting attachment,
also open the preheat oxygen valve and

depress the cutting lever for
three to five seconds.

We'll shut that off and we'll repeat
the process for the fuel side.

We're gonna open the fuel side for three
to five seconds and then shut it off.

>> And Ken, this is a good time to recheck
your regulators to make sure you maintain

the same pressure.

[SOUND]