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Here we go Again!

Bertie

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2013
Messages
489
Here we go again! May be I am not supposed to have co2. I bought a new Regulator then had to get a replacement solenoid and everything was working perfectly at a steady 1bps for a week.

Then thought it was time to up the bps to a more realistic 1.5 -2bps which I did Monday.
Tuesday 15mins are switching on the bps had dropped to less than 1 bps so readjusted to 2bps and was fine all day.

This morning, within 15mins the bps has dropped to about 1 bubble every two seconds or so and I am about to adjust back up
.
The bottle is at 55/56 bar and the working pressure is 2.5. Anyone any idea as to what is going on please? as I am really getting fed up with it all now!!
 
Have you got as short as possible/necessary lengths of CO2 tubing connecting everything up ?

When I first set up my CO2 with inline diffuser, I connected regulator to valve and bubble counter with short'ish length of CO2 tubing (ie enough to move and fiddle without pulling on tubing) and used the rest of my 4 metres of tubing to connect bubble counter to diffuser. This was with the incorrect idea that I could move the diffuser to other side of tank without changing piping.:crazy: You can't move the diffuser as part of filter setup/pipe work so a silly idea.

However the diffuser worked, could see "mist" in the tank, but I had real difficulties setting the bps rate reliably. Set to one rate, next day something slightly different. Also seemed to vary a lot. One minute was very high bps, then slow to 1-2bps then very high bps again and lots of CO2 mist in the tank.

Shortening the tube length from bubble counter to diffuser and perfect. Using the CO2 Supermarket regulator can set bps from 1 bubble per 5 seconds to many many bubbles per second. And exactly the same rate the next day when CO2 comes on.

I assume the excessive length of CO2 pipe was pressurising and pressure releasing causing the variable bubble rate. I think other people has seen this type of behaviour where they have remotely located their CO2 source and have had real problems reliably setting the CO2 rate. Also says in setting up CO2 instructions, keep tubing lengths as short as possible.:)
 
Hi Ian, Yes it is as short as possible. Everything was fine for about a week, whilst I had the bps at 1 bps, it only started messing about when I upped it to 1.5 - 2 bps.
Although not as short as it could possibly be as my filter is an Eheim and does not fit in the cabinet and the FE is in the cabinet (the wife insisted I could not have it outside) so there is extra length where there would not be if they were next to each other.
 
Perhaps what I would do is test with just the bubble counter connected, and see if it remains the same or improves. If its the same, the reg is at fault or if it runs fine something is wrong perhaps more pressure is needed
 
Perhaps what I would do is test with just the bubble counter connected, and see if it remains the same or improves. If its the same, the reg is at fault or if it runs fine something is wrong perhaps more pressure is needed

Hi,
Seems sensible, but what I will do first is to up the working pressure from 2.5 to 3bar and see if that makes a difference.Then go from there!
 
Also could test for faulty check valve blocking flow if that doesn't work
 
Also could test for faulty check valve blocking flow if that doesn't work

Yes I have checked them loads of times..I did remove one check valve (just before Atomizer) but may change the two I have left (one out of reg and one out of bubble counter) when I get some more.
 
Dude, this is exactly what I went through for months, issues with regs, changed to JBL eventually and then still had fluctuating bubble count, I just whipped everything off and added bits back one at a time, testing flow of gas after each addition, it was all mu easy aqua double check valves and the same brand of bubble counter, they were all leaking somewhere! some screw threads had split, maybe I overtightened them? new ones out the pack were leaking from the centre of the valve itself and so was the bubble counter, I nw use the brass ones with small hose clips and for the fist time (since about a month back now) I have fast, but constant Co2. what type of check valves have you got mate?
 
I was using algarde and easy aqua.....my lfs no longer sell algarde so I am using easy aqua and a JBL bubble counter! I am now only using one check valve from my reg to the bubble counter and the tube directly from the other side of the bubble counter to the inline atomizer.
 
I've got the same setup as you Bertie (up regulator+up atomizer), when i was using a glass in tank diffuser i needed to have about 4/5 bps to get the drop checker to show lime green bordering on yellow. Since installing the up inline atomizer i only need about 1.5 bps to get the same concentration of co2 but i did have to up the working pressure to about 5bar to get it working correctly. I tried lower working pressure but could never get it working right for me.
 
I upped mine to 3bar this morning and will see what happens tomorrow on start up.
 
Yes it sounds to me like your pressure is to low, I've ran mine before at almost 4 bar to get a nice constant bubble rate... Up the pressure and see what happens... At worst if there is a leak it will find it quicker, but I'm sure it's just low pressure related.
 
I have a problem though! if I up my pressure to beyond 3bar I get a slight fluctuation on the gauge. I have searched and searched for a leak and cannot find one so I do not know what is causing it. At 3bar and below it is fine which tells me that there must be a leak somewhere under "load" but blowed if I can find it. Tomorrow I am going to start again and use LS-X Fernox on all joints.
 
I have a problem though! if I up my pressure to beyond 3bar I get a slight fluctuation on the gauge. I have searched and searched for a leak and cannot find one so I do not know what is causing it. At 3bar and below it is fine which tells me that there must be a leak somewhere under "load" but blowed if I can find it. Tomorrow I am going to start again and use LS-X Fernox on all joints.

Could you explain the fluctuation because i've got mine at 5bar and when the co2 kicks in i get a slight dip on the working pressure needle.
 
yes it is only a slight dip but it is regular and keeps this small fluctuation going like a ticking clock :confused:
 
My needle fluctuates if I sit and watch it.... I put it down too that its doing it job, basically controlling all that pressure behind it - if I sit and watch the bubble rate that is very constant though. If you are using the correct co2 piping and have put half an inch or so in boiling water as you have fitted them onto the joints then you should have a very tight fit and leak free, you should not even need any fernox.
 
You've got me stumped, am i right in saying you had the same problem when using the co2 supermarket regulator?.
 
You've got me stumped, am i right in saying you had the same problem when using the co2 supermarket regulator?.

yes but to a much greater degree! It may be that I am now being over sensitive to all this...I may be better off just shutting the cupboard and ignoring it;) I have changed/reduced all but one of the check valves, changed my bubble counters and have even used two different UP Atomizers and also originally a ceramic diffuser. It is becoming like a long running soap!!
 
May be a daft question Bertie but have you used ptfe tape on the Fe thread and is it tightened up.? I thought I'd tightened mine up but after a week or so I was able to turn the reg nut three quarters more and I'm heavy handed.:) just a thought.
 
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