AQUARIUS 70 - Operating for the First Time; Filling Tanks and Connecting Torch; Initial Testing and Operation

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4. Operating for the First Time
Caution: When filling, always wear protective gloves and safety goggles! Keep away from open
flames!
1. Filling the Electrolyte (black filler opening):
Using the larger funnel (3a), pour the entire contents of the supplied bottle of electrolyte solution (1d)
slowly into the filler opening of the electrolyte tank (1a). Because there are several cells in the
gas generator into which the fluid must flow, you should allow at least 3 minutes for this
operation. Pour slowly to avoid overflowing! When done, carefully insert the level indicator float for
the electrolyte (1b) into the tank with the thicker end pointing down. The top of the float should be level
with the top edge of the filler opening. Screw on and hand tighten the cap of the generator tank (1c).
Note that the supplied electrolyte solution already contains enough distilled water, so do not add
water.
2. Filling the Flux Fluid (red filler opening):
Using the smaller funnel (3b) and the 50 ml syringe (12), fill approximately 100 ml of flux fluid (2d) into
the filler opening of the booster tank (2a). Carefully insert the booster level indicator float (2b) into the
tank with the thicker end pointing down. The top of the float should be approximately 2 to 3 cm
below the top edge of the filler opening. You do not need to put the screw cap on the tank, because
the torch tube screw coupling will be screwed onto it in the next step.
3. Connecting the Hand-Held Torch:
Screw on and hand tighten the screw coupling of the torch gas tube (7) onto the filler opening of the
booster tank (2a). Choose the appropriate size torch nozzle (11) according to the desired size of the
flame, and put it on the end of the hand-held torch (9). Press the nozzle tightly onto the end of the
torch and twist it slightly (about ¼ of a turn) to ensure a tight fit. Keep the torch valve (10) closed for
the moment.
4. Testing the Unit for Gas Leaks:
Connect the power cord to a wall socket. Press the power switch (4) to turn the unit on. The LED (5)
should light up to indicate that gas is being produced. The needle of the pressure gauge (6) moves up
to 0.20 bar, at which point the pressure switch (18) inside the unit interrupts gas production, and the
LED goes off. Watch the needle of the pressure gauge for approximately 1 minute to determine
whether the pressure drops. If the pressure does drop, check and tighten the generator cap (1c), the
screw coupling of the gas tube (7) and the torch valve (10).
5. Lighting the Torch:
Open the torch valve (10), but wait about 1 minute before lighting the torch to allow the air in the gas
generator and tubing to escape, then light the torch. The flame should burn with a bright green color.
When the pressure falls below 0.18 bar, the pressure switch switches on again to restart gas
production, and the LED lights up. The torch valve must be adjusted appropriately according to the
size of the nozzle. If the valve is open too far, the flame makes an audible hissing sound; if the valve is
not open far enough, the flame can pull back into the nozzle, which glows and may begin to melt.
When using smaller nozzles, gas production switches on and off at regular intervals between the
pressures 0.18 and 0.20 bar. When using larger nozzles, it is normal that the pressure may sink below
0.10 bar and gas production never stops because all of the gas being produced is consumed by the
flame. To save energy and fluids, the flame should only be burning during the actual soldering work.
However, the torch valve can be closed and the power switch left on to keep the unit ready for
immediate operation. Because the gas generator gets warm during gas production, it is advisable
when you stop working after longer soldering operations to close the torch valve (10) to extinguish the
flame (see next step), but to leave the unit switched on for a while to allow the cooling fan (23) to run.
6. Extinguishing the Torch Flame:
Quickly close the torch valve (10) to extinguish the flame. Never turn the power switch off to
extinguish the flame because the slowly sinking gas pressure will pull the flame back into the nozzle,
which can melt and burn.