Mega Minor What hose size??

beadgirl · #1 2010-06-17, 10:19am

Nortel mega minor
What size hose do you need?
I was sent 3/16 (ID Inside diameter) and it will be 25 feet long
But everything on other sites said 1/4 ID

So does it make a difference it may affect the oxy conentrator 3/16 ID hose for a 25 foot run
Thanks, MarieAnn

kbinkster · #2 2010-06-17, 11:05am

That's too narrow. It probably wouldn't fit over the barbs of a Mega Minor with the barb fittings. If you have a Mega with the B fittings, it would fit - but you will need to run higher pressures on your regulators to compensate for the narrow lines (and it won't do very well if you ever use a concentrator). I'd swap out for 1/4" ID lines if I were you.

beadgirl · #3 2010-06-17, 12:53pm

Thanks Kimberly,
Yep the B fittings on both ends. That will screw into the back of the torch.
I called Nortel in Canada this morning, they said to call the vendor for the hose size, so that is what I did......
I just got off the phone with the vendor and he said that 25 feet at 3/16 ID will be fine.....Example he gave was several torches running in a classroom setting on 3/8 Diameter hose just bump the regulator on the fuel up. Makes sense to me on the fuel end.
Classroom settings usually have tanked oxygen though.
He suggested to use a y connector to hook up the 5 liter and the regalia together and they would balance each other. I do not have space on the bench are for that to be done safely, not to mention a tripping issue. No dedicated electric for the two of them at one spot, etc
So I am really confused about the concentrator still on 25 foot run with that hose size.

And yes I explained it.
MarieAnn

kbinkster · #4 2010-06-17, 1:27pm

3/8" ID hose holds/moves a greater volume of gas than 3/16" ID hose does. It is used on manifold systems (like classroom setup) to minimize the surge and fluctuations caused by turning torches on and off on the manifold system. You increase the pressure at the regulators in order to increase the flow out of the tanks to supply enough fuel to all the torches in-line. Some people use 3/8" ID lines for bigger torches so that they don't have fluctuations in their centerfire when they open up the outerfire. Same principle. The larger line acts not only as a transport tube, but also as a reservoir to some extent. You dip out of it, so to speak, but since there is so much more right there, what you dip out isn't noticeably missing, so several other people can dip out of it at the same time and not have to wait for it to refill, first.

3/16" ID hose is narrow. Narrow lines create unnecessary restrictions. You can overcome the restriction by having your gas delivered at a higher psi. This is fine if you are using tanked propane and tanked oxygen. If you were using low pressure natural gas or a low pressure concentrator, the delivery pressure would be wimpy compared to the restriction created by the narrow lines. You would not be able to get as much gas to your torch with a 3/16" ID line as you could were you using larger ID lines. A tiny short length (less than a foot long) wouldn't be that big of a deal, but you're talking about 25' of tight lines for the gas to get through. That's asking a lot.

1/4" ID lines seem to be just right - they're right in the middle of those other two sizes.

Who is this vendor?

beadgirl · #5 2010-06-17, 1:53pm

I edited post #3 above to add the suggestion of connecting two concentrators together, I have seen that done before with two of the same machines.Any thoughts if that will work?
I am using propane so will that work?
MarieAnn

kbinkster · #6 2010-06-17, 2:06pm

Adding two concentrators together will increase the volume of gas available, but it does nothing to increase the pressure.

kbinkster · #7 2010-06-17, 2:08pm

BTW, I typically recommend running a 1/4" ID line no longer than 12' when feeding a concentrator. That's 12' (or shorter if possible) on 1/4" ID line. This is because the pressure drops as the line gets longer. You're talking about running a line twice as long and narrower, to boot. So, you need more pressure to get oxygen through that line because of it's narrow width and are dealing with a pressure drop because of the long length - not good.

How close to your bench can you have your concentrator(s)?

beadgirl · #8 2010-06-17, 4:22pm

It would need to be at least 16 feet.
I am sending the hoses back, it is not what I ordered online. I did get a courtesy call informing me they were out of the 25 foot hose and they would send 2 at 12 1/2 feet instead. I did not change the diameter.
Are all of the hoses manufactured " joined together" the oxygen hose could be shorter if I could find them unattached.
Thanks for all of your time!
MarieAnn

Dale M. · #9 2010-06-17, 4:55pm

Generally "twin" hoses (red & green joined) can be separated.... Process is to usually remove the brass band (about 6 inches from end) that keeps them clamped together and gently pull them apart....

Dale

kbinkster · #10 2010-06-17, 5:19pm

You can even use clear vinyl 1/4" vinyl tubing cut to whatever length you want and just not use the green oxygen hose at all. The pressures put out by oxygen concentrators are low enough to not need the more secure connection the brass B fitting of the green oxygen hose provides.

If you are wying your machines together, you can attach the vinyl tubing to the bottom of the wye. You could also get an adaptor to screw into the back of a Mega Minor fitted with the B fittings.