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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / air powered cooling vest
- - By TRC (***) Date 07-12-2013 19:20
Anyone using an air powered cooling vest. Do the venturi tubes work as described by manufacturer?
When I work on live gas lines we are required to wear long sleeves pants and shirt under FR coveralls and a FR hood tucked in of course. I use a fan on top of the hole and an umbrella but it's still very uncomfortable SMAO. Thanks- Ted
Parent - By Cumminsguy71 (*****) Date 07-12-2013 23:14
Hey Ted why don't you just suggest using one of these instead,

http://www.racesuit.com/racesuit/Pyrotect/pyrotectindexsuits.html

Then you can sell them advertising on your suit!

Sorry, I don't have any input on the vest though. Does it get that hot up there? :lol:
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 07-13-2013 06:09
They work good, we used to have to crawl inside large castings that were anywhere from 250-450 deg. the cooling vests saved our asses.
Parent - By gndchuck (**) Date 07-13-2013 12:51
I've used them in the past, the exhaust side of it blows out some really hot air.  Use to get burns every now and again depending on where the hot air was blowing.  I remember at one time that I put a length of 1" CP hose on the end of it to carry off the hot air down to the floor or somewhere around my feet.
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 07-13-2013 16:09 Edited 07-13-2013 16:12
If you mean this thing here http://www.vortec.com/c-30-personal-air-conditioners.aspx make sure you get the 2500 BTU and yes this thing will make you freeze your balls off well maybe not that cold but let me say when i use to use mine down here in the Hot humid Louisiana heat my upper body would be dry and cool while my legs were dripping with swet it was weird.
I never did buy the vest I ended up making some tubing with holes in it and the tube went around my neck and waist. If you would like to get a picture of what I made for myself just let me know and i will post pictures of it. This vortex tube as they call it requires a lot of air. If you air coming in from the cmpressor is say 100 degrees this device will drop the air temperature down to as low as 60 degrees. The vest is more efficient but you could burn it up easier unless you were leather.
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 07-30-2013 11:39
I use one in the fab shop I'm at now. It's the only thing that keeps me from dragging up and heading to Washington or Alaska. Port Arthur, Texas is a hell hole in the summer. Everybody else has sweat just dripping off their face and I'm chillin'.:grin:

I have the vest, but I would like to see pics of the tubing. That vest gets real hot, real quick when you have to disconnect the air.
Parent - By Tommyjoking (****) Date 08-01-2013 00:11
I dunno but Sourdough needs one so he can come work down here.  He is like Frosty, he can be here for a very short time, he melts and he is gone.
Parent - - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-01-2013 03:35 Edited 08-04-2013 18:08
Really late on pictures but this was my very GHETTO way of making a harness but that vest has to be so nice to have but like i said i was terrified I would burn it up real fast. The tubing I used here is actually 1/2 inch inside dia. and holes look like there about 1/16 1/8 I used and maybe 1-1 1/2 apart from one another.
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 08-01-2013 11:44
Maybe so, but you can unhook the air from the tubing and be OK for a while, but you have to unass that vest pretty quick when you unhook the air.
Parent - - By Stringer (***) Date 08-04-2013 15:30
Glad to hear of the big improvements to Port Arthur as to Spring, Fall, and Winter.:lol:
Parent - - By ZCat (***) Date 08-04-2013 22:28
no, it's still a hellhole, just not quite as hot.:cry:
Parent - - By TRC (***) Date 08-14-2013 21:08
You know when you go for an interview and your asked,  "Can you tell us about one of your failures". I've got a new answer!!!! So far I've spent about $1500 on trying to keep my old butt cool while fully dressed in the PPE that is supposed to protect me. I started out buying an 18 CFM ambient air pump. Theory was to remove small tube from cooling vest and replace with 3/4" and larger vent holes. Run air through 3/4 garden hose to home made heat exchanger and another 50' to the vest. The little bit of HOT air that comes out way down the other end is to little and way to hot. I figured that because the pressure was only about 3 psi that it wouldn't get real hot, wrong on that as well. I tried the ice chest with tube running though 50 lbs of ice and got cool very clamy, wet air, NOT.
Bought the 2500 BTU Vortex cooling tube. Tried it in the garage on the little 5 hp Craftsman low and behold it worked great for 15 or 20 seconds until the tank went down. So I'm sure it works as you have said. Have access to IR 185's at the yard. They are for running jack hammers and moles so water in the system is normal and acceptable, So I go to my over priced friends at Graingers and buy a $120 water separator that appeared to do nothing. Hooked the Vortex cooler up the IR and ran for 15 to 20 seconds before it iced up!!!
So, I have learned that hot wet saturated air will not give one the feeling of coolness. One needs cool dry air to obtain coolness.

SOOO, now I'm down to two options A TrailBlazer Airpak (approx $12000) with what they call a dryer and filter that they proclaim take 70% of the moister out of the air and the Vortex cooler or a Kaeser KCA 50 air dryer. The Kaeser is an refrigerated air dryer that puts out 40 degree air. It eliminates the heating cycle of a typical air dryer. My best choice would be the Airpak so as to have an independent air source. The Kaeser would require me to use the contractor supplied IR. You know how that would go, just when I need it the most one wouldn't be available.
Looking for any constructive advise AND at this time it all has to fit in my Tub rig. Thanks- Ted
Parent - By weldwade (***) Date 08-16-2013 02:12
The compressor on the TB airpac is a piece of junk in my opinion. I tried to run a 3/4" impact and it would not keep up for more than about 6 or so seconds. You could spend a bunch less on a machine without a compressor built in and get a good compressor if you have the room? I have a descant dryer on my compressor that cost me just under $400. I reuse my descant after I dry them out on a cookie sheet in the oven. I have a bunch of Miller equipment and don't have anything against blue. But I gotta say the trailblazer airpac is a total waste of money. Just my .02
Parent - By Chris2626 (***) Date 08-16-2013 02:31
That IR compressor probably was running to high of air pressure through it. The vortex only needs a constant 90 psi through it.
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / air powered cooling vest

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