Laser tube full of fluid

Laser newbie here. I got my machine about two months ago. Tonight while doing a print I heard a slight pop sound and the laser tube now appears to be full of fluid. I turned the machine off and have been too scared to do anything else. I have a message in to support but thought I’d come here also. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(I took a video because you can’t really tell unless it’s moving.)

It’s supposed to be full of fluid. It’s coolant. You’re good to go!

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That does not look right. It looks like the coolant is inside of the outer tube it is supposed to be in the inner tube.

No, the inner tube is the CO2 laser, the outer jacket is to cool it and should be full of coolant fluid.

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There is three parts of the tube center tube laser second tube coolant. third outer jacket. She has water in the outer jacket it looks like

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When the machine is new there are bubbles in the outer tube that purge when it is powered up - There is coolant in the outer tube.

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If you can’t see the coolant that is a good thing. If you have been running it and can see bubbles in the tube that is not a good thing. That means the tube is sucking air some place. Looking at the video, that is a lot of air.

You need to email that video to support and they will likely replace it with a refurbished machine for free as I assume it is still under warranty.

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It’s hard for me to tell from the video. Maybe the problem is that it’s NOT full of liquid. I don’t notice the liquid in mine. I think if you’re noticing, it’s possible that the liquid is too low?

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That would be my guess. The way it’s sloshing around half empty doesn’t look right at all.

I don’t think any of us can help with this one, though. Leaving it off until hearing back from support is the right answer. It’s possible there’s nothing wrong with it, but I wouldn’t take that chance.

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I would look around in and under the machine. Taking out the crumb tray (that does not get shipped back with the machine) and look on the table or floor. If the water is not in the system then it is likely outside of it in a puddle somewhere.

I had my machine start sucking air after 5 years because the coolant was low. There wasn’t any leak. I just filled the coolant sump to about an inch below the top with a mild antifreeze solution. Distilled water should be used for that mix.
The system auto-purges the air after powering on, if air keeps appearing in the tube there is a leak somewhere. A leak may mean air is being pulled in, and the only place that can happen is where the sump connects to the pump. In pictures of a machine that was manufactured after mine, there was a hose clamp on that fitting that mine doesn’t have. Everything downstream of the pump is under pressure, so coolant would leak out.
If there is no trace of wet in or under the machine, it is likely just low coolant.

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