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Fire extinguisher CO2

I have a question:

When you use soapy water to test for leaks - how do you do that? Do you dump the whole lot (FE and regulator) into the soapy water? Aren't you not supposed to get regs wet? Also... if there is a leak, what happens? Do you see bubbles? Soapy water has bubbles anyway so how do you know if it's leaking?

I'm probably being very very thick here... but I just can't get my head around it.
 
hellohefalump said:
I have a question:

When you use soapy water to test for leaks - how do you do that? Do you dump the whole lot (FE and regulator) into the soapy water? Aren't you not supposed to get regs wet? Also... if there is a leak, what happens? Do you see bubbles? Soapy water has bubbles anyway so how do you know if it's leaking?

I'm probably being very very thick here... but I just can't get my head around it.

You keep the whole set up out of the water and put soapy around the joints where it might leak. If there are any leaks then you'll get large bubbles inflating from the leaky joints like blowing bubbles!
 
Hi, Can't you just use gas leak detector spray? It's available from all good plumbing suppliers & DIY stores & only costs a couple of quid a can-you just spray it on joints & it bubbles if there's a leak?
Regards
Will
 
Read all the instructinos and threads .. seems easy.. one question .. Does a 2kg FE last as long as a 2kg cannister made for aquaria?

Bloke in my aquarium shop says a 3kg aquarium system should last 9 months ... he's charging 260 quid for 3kg cannister, regulator, solenoid, and glassware
 
garlem said:
Bloke in my aquarium shop says a 3kg aquarium system should last 9 months ... he's charging 260 quid for 3kg cannister, regulator, solenoid, and glassware
Christ, that sounds optimistic! LOL
It depends on how big your tank is and at what rate you are pumping in CO2. That sounds expensive too, i have 2 KGs for £15. A reg can cost about £60 and a diffuser is about £10-£20, airline/CO2 tubing costs less than a fiver and the same applies for a check valve and bubble counter. So, on the nice side of £100 you have a good method of adding CO2 to your aquarium. If you want a solenoid on your reg you can add another £15 or so.

garlem said:
Read all the instructinos and threads .. seems easy.. one question .. Does a 2kg FE last as long as a 2kg cannister made for aquaria?
2kg is 2kg regardless of what the brand is :)
 
I purchased a kit from Lunapet, the regulator and selonoide valve are excelent quality, I did spend more on a 2kg bottle and a diffusor.

The bottle was a waste of money as I now purchase 2kg FE's and have never refilled the kit bottle as they charge £25 for a refill. Since I can get the 2Kg FE's from Dan for £15 its a bit of a waste.

Also the diffusor that came with the kit was pants, so I am using what I had previously. If it was now I would have brought just the regulator and selonoid from Lunapet and get the other stuff separatly and not bother with a bottle.
 
LondonDragon said:
If it was now I would have brought just the regulator and selonoid from Lunapet and get the other stuff separatly and not bother with a bottle.
Which is exactly what I did. My 2Kg CO2 ran out last night, been running on my 30G tank since October so about 3 months, though I did faff about with it quite a bit trying different levels/diffusers etc.

I made a thread whilst I was deciding which regulator/solenoid to buy, it's hereand I've just updated it. :)

The one thing I would add is that the pound is naff at the moment so importing from anywhere else might not be as cheap as it once was. :(
 
hi, great tutorial btw its realy helping me
but i was just wondering where you got your bubble couter from?
and if you know any where i can find a good solnoid?
thanks in advance :D
 
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