The new solenoid along with a new NRV and a new super duper fine control needle valve came today. Set it up inline as it was easier.
My CO2 is now regulator - broken solenoid - fully open needle valve - new solenoid - fully open needle valve that is on the new solenoid - fine control needle valve (being used as if it were the only needle valve) - new NRV - bubble counter - old NRV.
Reason for buying the new fine control needle valve is because the old one was hard to adjust. half a mm turn would go from 1bps to 3bps. Therefore rather than assume the one attached to the new solenoid would be better I thought I would assume it was the same.............It is better but still the fine adjuster one is really good.
Reason for buying the new NRV? The old cheap one was letting a little bit of water through. Was wondering why my bubble counter was filling up (one of those glass inline bubble counters.) Because the old NRV wasn't doing what it should the water was coming down from the inline diffuser when CO2 was off, filling up the bubble counter and then was getting past the NRV. Not huge amounts, less than droplets but there was moisture in the old needle valve and that is what probably made the old solenoid seize.
I had a few of those old NRVs so I put a different one above the bubble counter to hopefully stop anything coming down the line and the new steel one in between bubble counter and regulator setup. Better safe than sorry.
And we have CO2 again. Not sure for how long. This is the same 2kg bottle I started the (flooded) scape with in December!!! Bottle pressure is still above 50 though so not emptying yet. Can't be too long till it does though.