• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

CO2 Kit Not working - Solved

Ray

Member
Joined
31 Oct 2007
Messages
676
Location
Switzerland
Hello,

I've finally unboxed my Aquamas CO2 Starter kit. The in line reactor is the business - really excellent - but I'm having some issues with the regulator. I connected up the regulator and the solenoid and turned on the gas at the cylinder. The flask is full at 70bar, so that's good. The regulator pressure is at 4 bar - well into the red zone marked "pressure too high". If plug in my solenoid I hear a reassuring "click" but when I open the needle valve nothing comes out.

I would like to remove the solenoid, tighten everything and try without but its not going to be easy to break the seal with the cylinder if I can't depressurise the system first. In any case I suspect either I'm missing something obvious or I have a faulty regulator?

Photo below, to remove any confusion. So what to do? I'm leaving the country tomorrow and when I return I was planning to have all my plants in my luggage, so this had better work!

CIMG1644.jpg


Thank you,

Ray
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

This is a silly question, you openned the gas at the bottle but have you also openned the gas at the regulator and then at the needle valve?
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

Sorry, another silly question ... have you got a non-return valve the other side of the solenoid? Is it the right way round?

How did the regulator pressure get up to 4 bar? Did you set it to minimum before you opened the bottle tap and then increase it to 4 bar, or did it just shoot up to 4 bar when you opened up the bottle?
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

I opened the valve on the regulator and then on the bottle. Or maybe vice versa, I forget. As soon as I did the two needles shot up to the values shown. I can unscrew the needle valve until it comes out in my hand and no difference.

The non return valve is integral into my external reactor but at the moment the other end of the tube just ends in a jug of water.
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

Ray said:
I would like to remove the solenoid, tighten everything and try without but its not going to be easy to break the seal with the cylinder if I can't depressurise the system first. In any case I suspect either I'm missing something obvious or I have a faulty regulator?

Hi Ray,
I'm not following you on this. Sounds like the regulator works perfectly. You get a cylinder pressure reading and the needle valve regulates to working pressure. Could it be you mounted the solenoid reversed?

Why can't you remove the regulator to undo the solenoid? The gas doesn't seal the cylinder connector (at least it doesn't in normal regulators) Just close the cylinder valve and twist the nut. The cylinder pressure does not prevent you from turning this if it's a typical hex head nut. Whatever pressure is trapped in the regulator just hisses out as you loosen the nut.

Am I missing something? :?

Cheers,
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

Crisis over.
ceg4048 said:
Why can't you remove the regulator to undo the solenoid? ... Whatever pressure is trapped in the regulator just hisses out as you loosen the nut.
Erm, yes, yes you can.. :oops:
Ray said:
I'm not following you on this. Sounds like the regulator works perfectly. You get a cylinder pressure reading and the needle valve regulates to working pressure.
:oops: Its all working fine. I took the solenoid off and nothing, then the needle valve and "hiss" as soon as a losened it. So I put them both back and its working! I seem to have misunderstood how this works. Check if I got this right:

You regulate the pressure on the regulator to be the right pressure with the regulator nob and get it in the green zone - 0.5 to 1.5 bar. Then you open the needle valve to regulate the flow precisely to the number of bubbles per second you want :?:

You see, I just opened the regulator nob full out and then back half a turn like on a diving bottle. I'm not used to the idea of a regulator that has adjustable pressure :rolleyes: . Then I saw I was in the red zone and turned off the bottle :? . The actual problem is if the needle valve is too tightly fastened onto the regulator it doesn't work!?

Sorry to be a complete timewaster everyone, but thanks for your answers. :)
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

Happens to us all mate. :D We'll know the answer the next time someone has the same trouble. Not a waste of time at all. ;)

Have fun on your trip! Bring back lots of cool plants. :D

Cheers,
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Please Help!

Hi Ray, just a quick question, how long did your kit take to arrive from Aquamas, i'm just waiting on a co2 reactor from them.

Thanks,

Dan.
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Solved thanks

TDI-line said:
Hi Ray, just a quick question, how long did your kit take to arrive from Aquamas, i'm just waiting on a co2 reactor from them.
Quite quick, order Monday morning and receive Friday I think, but shipping from Germany to Switzerland might be quicker than to UK...?
 
Re: CO2 Kit Not working - Solved thanks

Ray said:
Quite quick, order Monday morning and receive Friday I think, but shipping from Germany to Switzerland might be quicker than to UK...?
Usually to the UK from Germany I receive the goods in about 4 days!
 
Back
Top