How to Clean a MIG Welder

A MIG welder uses extremely high heat to melt the material that acts as a grout to fuse pieces of metal together. This application is hard on the equipment itself as well. You will need to clean your MIG welder often to keep it working properly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Inspect the nozzle first to see if there is weld accumulated on the nozzle. If so, you need to use a wire brush to scrape this off. Next check the wire and sensor, which can become welded to the tip.

2. Remove the gas shield. Look carefully at the weld bead on the end of the wire and see if it is attached to the tip. Pull the trigger and see if the wire comes through the tip. If it doesn't, it needs to be cleared.

3. Use a pair of wire cutters to cut the welded portion. Realign the wire and pull the trigger again, looking to see if it comes through the tip. If it does, you have cleared the problem. If not, try taking a little more off and test again.

4. Turn your attention to the gas shield nozzle. If there are bits of weld spatter inside, clean it out with a small wire brush until the bits of spatter are gone. Use a larger wire brush to clean the inside walls of the nozzle. The cleaner the surface the better.

Tips & Warnings

• If you come across a particularly tough or large piece of weld spatter, use wire cutters to cut the spatter off. Then finish the cleaning process with a wire brush until the surface is free of spatter and smooth again.

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