co2 laser kept in cold garage..is it ok?

[Nadia Zois]

i finally got my versalaser a few days ago! but they said they could not tilt it. so they couldn't bring it up the stairs. so they put it in the garage , we did not set it up yet. my husband says it will be fine there, but the garage is FREEZING. i am paranoid. will it be okay kept in very cold environments ?

[Mitchell Andrus]

Read the owner's manual. Cold storage may be OK. (Freezing in the back of a big truck enroute fr'instance) Cold opperation is something else entirely.

[Shawn Gillies]

Also, If you cool the tube with water, that is an issue. Adding Glycol may help, but again, read the manual.
I considered the garage earlier on and I have my garage under the bedrooms so it keeps well above freezing.Decided it would be to costly if I ever left the garage door open to get out the Snow Blower.

[Margaret Turco]

I have my laser in my garage also. It is well insulated and does not get below about 40 degrees out there, but I got a little space heater right in front of the machine that is supposed to kick on if it gets below 41. If I'm not going to run it for a few days and it's going to be like 20 degrees out my salesman suggested I bring the laser tube in the house. It's pretty easy to remove and re-install. I haven't had any problems so far!

[Dave Johnson29]

but they said they could not tilt it. so they couldn't bring it up the stairs.


Hi Nadia,

Why could they not tilt it? Surely it had transit packing? Sounds like they just didn't want to carry it up the stairs.

Call ULS and ask if it can be tilted as I cannot see why it could not be tilted. You might also ask ULS about anti-freeze (Ethylene Glycol) in the water as the pump seals may not be designed to handle it for very long.

As Mitchell suggested, check the manual for operating condition temperature range to see if it will be OK in the garage. My ULS laser lives in the unlined garage and it is currently 38F outside.

A low wattage light bulb inside the case would do the trick. I have a 7.5Watt lamp in my insulated well head (live on a farm) to prevent freezing and it works fine.

[Scott Shepherd]

I'd inquire about the tilting as well. The only way to get the PLS 4.60 and I would imagine the VLS 4.60 into a room is to tilt it. It will not fit any other way.

Never heard of "don't tilt it" before. It's not like it's full of liquid :)

[Erik King]

There is no question in my mind that you can tilt it. The specific instructions from ULS include how to remove the machine from the cart and turn it sideways to go through doors and up stairs (not just tilt it, but turn it completely over). I know because I had to do so with my 6.120 and when I picked it up at the factory they showed me exactly how to do it.

The points they emphasized with me were to be sure the tubes were out, that the carriage was tied down and count not move (as it is when it is shipped), and that I taped all the doors shut so they would not spring open.

I had no issues at all from doing so (other than nearly killing myself and some friends trying to get 400 pounds of laser up two flights of stairs <grin>!

I can't imagine it's any different for a Versalaser - I'd sure call them and ask!

[Lee DeRaud]

Mine came up the stairs and through the door on its side (still in the box). IIRC, the box was 31" wide: no way was it going through any doors flat, and that's the smallest Versalaser they make.

[Ed Kloppenburg]

I had my ULS 460 on its side and through all the doorways I needed. I then put all the pieces back to where they needed to go and everything worked fine. My laser is kept in a cool room and close to freezing, however before using I try to bring it up to normal room temp for the season.

[Andrey Anfimov]

From User Manual for VLS and PLS :

1)Operating Environment - Well-ventilated office (recommended) or clean, light-duty manufacturing

2) Operating Temperature:
a) 50.F (10.C) to 95.F (35. C) capable
b) 73.F (22.C) to 77.F (25. C) for best performance

3) Storage Temperature - 50.F (10.C) to 95.F (35. C)
4) Operating Humidity - Non-condensing

[Mike Ireland]

You can tilt the machine to bring it up or down stairs, through doors, etc. When we ship the systems, there are 'Tip-n-Tell' indicators on the shipping crate to show if the system has been tipped on it's side or otherwise handled roughly. This is to make sure that the machine is not shipped upside down (it has happened :eek:). Once out of it's crate, you're fine, just make sure that you have enough people to carry it.

[Gary Hair]

i finally got my versalaser a few days ago! but they said they could not tilt it. so they couldn't bring it up the stairs. so they put it in the garage , we did not set it up yet. my husband says it will be fine there, but the garage is FREEZING. i am paranoid. will it be okay kept in very cold environments ?

I would call them back out and have them finish the job - move it inside where it should be.

Gary