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julieann1674
2012-12-26, 8:56pm
I am looking to purchase my "first" Oxygen Concentrator. I will be working in a garage studio. Are there any common problems that I should be aware of in using a concentrator?

I have upgraded from my HotHead and will be using Oxygen/propane for the first time and am looking to purchase a Concentrator (an M15) to start rather than having bottled Oxygen.

I now will be on a Nortel Mega Minor along with two new 30lb propane tanks that I will rotate during refill......


Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!!

Mr.Smeeth
2012-12-26, 10:00pm
Warm up your studio. They don't like cold. Change filters

julieann1674
2012-12-27, 7:30pm
Thank you!

Mary K
2013-01-21, 7:33am
Just wondering how a mega minor is running on one M 15. I have never had a mega minor, but I have had an M 15, and it wouldn't run my regular minor very well.
Some torches are made to run with concentrators, others are much better on bottled oxy. Did you get that concentrator yet?

flaming_fools
2013-02-01, 12:27am
Just wondering how a mega minor is running on one M 15. I have never had a mega minor, but I have had an M 15, and it wouldn't run my regular minor very well.
Some torches are made to run with concentrators, others are much better on bottled oxy. Did you get that concentrator yet?

We have a Minor and a Mega-minor and run each off their own M-15 and it is wonderful. As good in our opinions as when we ran off tanked oxygen. Did you perhaps get a bad M15?

istandalone24/7
2013-02-01, 6:55am
it might be worlds better then a hot head, but one ex15/m15 will not power a mega minor at 100%.
mega minor was my first torch with one ex15. i got maybe 80% out of the torch as compared to how the m minor runs on tanked.
plus, you can't really get the colors to pop if your working boro. will need another unit or tanked for that.

julieann1674
2013-02-07, 9:48am
Just wondering how a mega minor is running on one M 15. I have never had a mega minor, but I have had an M 15, and it wouldn't run my regular minor very well.
Some torches are made to run with concentrators, others are much better on bottled oxy. Did you get that concentrator yet?

Hi Mary,

I have heald off for the moment on my M15 purchase. After doing some research and all the help here on Lampworking etc. I am going to stick with my bottled oxygen for now. I am really liking the heat. Plus, I am fortunate that my oxygen supplier is on ly about two miles from my home. So it is easy to get more when I need it. I also took into consideration that I am currently working in my garage, and it gets cold during the winter. I turn the heat on when I am working but I wasn't convinced that the concentrator would stand up well with my environment of cold temps and dust.

I was told when I was inquiring with Nortel, that one M15 would work great.

peggy593
2013-02-10, 9:23am
Hi Julie-
If you can do tanked oxygen easily, you'll probably be happier with it. I have a mega minor and an EX-15, and for the most part, I'm really happy with it. My studio is on the second floor, and although I haven't really researched it, I think getting tanked oxygen would be a real PITA. I would say the one problem I do have with my concentrator is that it's really hard to get striking glass to do what it's supposed to.
Peggy

LarryC
2013-02-10, 10:48am
Hi Julie-
If you can do tanked oxygen easily, you'll probably be happier with it. I have a mega minor and an EX-15, and for the most part, I'm really happy with it. My studio is on the second floor, and although I haven't really researched it, I think getting tanked oxygen would be a real PITA. I would say the one problem I do have with my concentrator is that it's really hard to get striking glass to do what it's supposed to.
Peggy

That is because you do not have a high enough volume of sufficiently high purity oxygen to get a hot oxdizing flame. No surprise there based on your setup.

kbinkster
2013-02-11, 10:05am
That is because you do not have a high enough volume of sufficiently high purity oxygen to get a hot oxdizing flame. No surprise there based on your setup.

Agreed.

Bottled oxygen (tank or liquid dewar) offers the best purity for a lampworking burner, but there are circumstances where a concentrator set-up is preferable to a tank set-up (convenience, on-demand oxygen without running out, physical limitations of housing and moving tanks, etc.). If you go the concentrator route, you want to have as much volume (LPM) as you can get at a good concentration (purity %).

Torches like the Minor, the Mega Minor, the Mini CC, etc., do better on a 10 LPM machine than an 8 LPM machine, regardless of the psi output. Also, a machine that is in good working order and putting out purity of 90% or better will give you more heat and cleaner colors than a machine that does not put out good purity.

julieann1674
2013-02-15, 7:56pm
This is all wonderful information, this forum is such a great resource!

marla0416
2013-02-16, 4:01pm
I'm about to switch over to an M15 O2 concentrator with my mini cc carlisle. Let me see if I understand this. I may have a difficult time striking rods using the concentrator due to impurities of the o2 as it relates to the heat generated. Am I understanding this correctly? Is it possible to test the purity of the o2 produced? These machines were originally designed for medical use. I've never heard of issues related to purity. I must be missing something. Sorry to be dense.

Alaska
2013-02-16, 5:09pm
On this end use boro with concentrators and have not had an issue with flame striking.

Your manual should indicate the percent of oxygen at different LPM settings. In general, the higher the output LPM the lower the oxygen concentration. Many medical concentrators will alarm if the concentrations hits the 90% level.

The recommendations by GTT as posted on their site state....

"Set the flow meter .5 – 1 LPM lower than the highest number on the flow meter unless the manufacturer recommends otherwise. This will usually provide the greatest purity of oxygen to the torch. Due to the differences in oxygen concentrators there may be some variations in the above recommendations depending on the concentrator, flow, purity and working pressure."

One could contact local firms that service concentrators or sell such units to see if they would measure the percent at various LPM settings. That would be a good reference point for future use. Ask about cost also. However, being a non medical unit could negate their willingness to test your unit. (i.e. medical concentrators require a prescription for purchase.)

There are testing set available. Some of the inexpensive types require a yearly replacement of the oxygen sensor. For $650, there is a nice unit that measures LPM, pressure and percent.