Reminder on gas gauge safety.

[Dave M]

On monday in prep for a big snow storm I had a plow to repair so I went down to my shop and fired up the compressor to use with an impact wrench and plasma cutter. It was 31 deg. in the shop. I threw the main air line ball valve to my filter, drier, regulator. I was standing right in front of it looking right at the gauge but the pressure reading was low so I am watching it to see what it is set at ( BOOOOM ). The gauge explodes and I get gashed right above the eye, parts and pieces all over . I have been a welder long enough to know better but I got sloppy. Any time you air up any type of pressure gauge you should always stand off to the side of them and never look straight at them when adjusting, the gauge face is the weak point and is designed to fail outwards. From what I can put together with my limited CSI skills, the diaphragm was frozen so the gauge over pressured. I did have safety glass on. replaced gauge, cleaned up and fired up the blue wrench and was out plowing by mid-day.

[fat pete]

thanks for the heads up..... glad your all right....

[Paragon]

Thankfully you had saftey glasses on. Was that just compressed air line? Must have been some moisture in there..

At least it wasn't from an Ox or Acet tank... or even Prop.

[Dave M]

yup just a 150 psi. air line, I saw an oxy gauge blow up on a drag lines cutting rig. oil got on the regs and gauges he hooked them up to the tanks with out cleaning them. He charged the oxy line and well BOOOOM . because petroleum based products and pressurized oxygen don't mix well.

[MRobb]

Glad to hear everything worked out. And another good reason to always wear safety gear. Thanks for the info for the rest of us. You never can get too much.

[Ten Hammers]

Yeah thanks for the info. Cold weather is hard on stuff like regulators ( especially acetelyne and oxygen welding). I have a ball valve on the outlet of my compressor as well and never actually considered the guage on the trap/regulator exploding ( or the one on the plasma either ). -4º this morning and will give another hour before heading to the shop. THanks for the heads up and glad to hear you are not injured too bad.

[Ten Hammers]

Gonna have to admit I am a bit goosey when turnin stuff on after reading and posting on this thread ( which is actually good ).