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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.
ACCESSORIES
C-2 C-2
POWER WAVE 450