Troubleshooting

The problems listed and the possible causes are not definitive, but suggest some typical situations that may turn up during normal use of the welding system.

Welding system:

Problem	Recommended actions
The welding system does not power up	Check that the mains cable is plugged in properly.
	Check that the mains switch of the power source is at the ON position.
	Check that the mains power distribution is on.
	Check the mains fuse and/or the circuit breaker.
	Check that the interconnection cable between the power source and the wire feeder is intact and properly attached.
	Check that the earth return cable is connected.
The welding system stops working	Gas-cooled gun may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down.
	Check that none of the cables is loose.
	The wire feeder may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down and see that the welding current cable is properly attached.
	The power source may have overheated. Wait for it to cool down and see that the cooling fans work properly and the air flow is unobstructed.

 

Wire feeder:

Problem	Recommended actions
The filler wire on the spool unravels	Check that the spool locking cover is closed.
The wire feeder does not feed the filler wire	Check that the filler wire has not run out.
	Check that the filler wire is properly routed through the feed rolls to the wire liner.
	Check that the pressure handle is properly closed.
	Check that the feed roll pressure is adjusted correctly for the filler wire.
	Check that the welding cable is properly connected to the wire feeder.
	Blow compressed air through the wire liner to check that it is not blocked.

 

Weld quality:

Problem	Recommended actions
Dirty and/or poor quality weld	Check that the shielding gas has not run out.
	Check that the shielding gas flow is unobstructed.
	Check that the gas type is correct for the application.
	Check the polarity of the gun/electrode.
	Check that the welding procedure is correct for the application.
Varying welding performance	Check that the wire feed mechanism is adjusted properly.
	Blow compressed air through the wire liner to check that it is not blocked.
	Check that the wire liner is correct for the selected wire size and type.
	Check the welding gun contact tip's size, type and wear.
	Check that the welding gun is not overheating.
	Check that the earth return clamp is properly attached to a clean surface of the workpiece.
High spatter volume	Check the welding parameter values and welding procedure.
	Check the gas type and flow.
	Check the polarity of the gun/electrode.
	Check that the filler wire is correct for the current application.

 

Error codes