A welding helmet, or a “hood”, is one of the most important safety equipment for any welder. These days, most welders are using auto-darkening welding helmets that darken or lighten depending on the task.
It’s a very neat feature that makes welding a lot easier, but it does mean that sooner or later, you’re going to have to change the batteries.
If you don’t know how to change the battery in a welding helmet, don’t worry, we can walk you through this simple task. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain to you how to do it.
The Tools That You’ll Need to Change the Battery in a Welding Helmet
Before we get started, just as a precaution, make sure to check your welding helmet to see if it allows battery replacement. There are some helmets that are solar-powered and don’t have any batteries at all. Just be sure to check the manual or with the manufacturer before getting started.
The first step is to make sure that you have all the tools that you’ll need to get the job done. You will be needing:
- Screwdriver, flat
- Soldering Iron
- Soldering Wire
- A replacement battery
- Dremel tool
- Superglue
Keep in mind that these tools may change a little, depending on the model of the auto-darkening welding helmet that you have.
A lot of welding helmets have a pop-out, easy to replace battery design that won’t need any tools at all. But for helmets that don’t have an easy replacement feature, you won’t need any more tools than those listed above.
Also, be sure to get a replacement battery that’s the same as the one that’s currently being used in your auto-darkening welding helmet.
Some welding helmets have different battery fits, though generally modern helmets have the CR2450, which looks like a small round disc. Just to be sure, either check the manual or the manufacturer’s website.
Step-by-step Guide On Replacing the Battery
Now we’re going to go into the step-by-step guide of replacing the battery of your auto-darkening welding helmet.
- The first step is to find the location where the battery is inserted into the helmet. This will usually be somewhere near the display of the welding helmet.
- Modern auto-darkening welding helmets will have an easy release for the display and an easy pop-out cover for the battery. For older designs, you will need the dremel tool to cut out the plastic that’s covering the batteries, which should be the same size as a postage stamp. Be sure to place your welding helmet on a flat, stable surface before starting.
- Again, with modern helmets, you can just pop the batteries out. In older designs, you will need to very carefully loosen the tabs that are holding the batteries in place. Wiggle the flat screwdriver under the tabs to loosen them, before carefully removing them.
- Place the new batteries in, but make sure that you’re putting the positive and negative sides in properly. They should be clearly marked on the batteries. For old models, you can solder the red lead onto the positive side, and the black lead onto the negative side. Be sure to avoid any cold joints.
- Close the panel and place it back into the helmet. For old models, you’ll have to superglue the plastic cover back.
- Test out your helmet. Take your helmet to a brightly lit area and check if it darkens automatically. If it does, then you’ve done your job right. If it didn’t, then there could be an issue with the wiring, not the batteries.
Source: mikebanahan.com
Conclusion
And there you have it, a detailed step-by-step guide to replacing your auto-darkening welding helmet’s batteries. Before you get started, always remember to check your helmet’s manual first, just in case there are any special instructions for battery replacement.
We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did writing it for you. If you’re worried about getting started, just remember that it always seems hard the first time you try doing it. Good luck!
