Fixing a leaking seal

[phillarrow]

Hi everyone, I have a bit of a problem that I need help with. A few days ago, literally a few hours before going to France on a school trip, my CO2 went off. After checking I realised that the bottle, which should have lasted for months, was empty after only two weeks. I had no choice but to leave it until today - thankfully no real problems. Anyway I went back to TGM who GAVE me a new bottle so I could check everything (Thanks guys! Once again brilliant service) and low and behold the cheap regulator/solenoid that I bought off ebay (yes, the one loads of you have got) is leaking at the joint between the solenoid and the bubble counter. My question is how do I seal this joint and make it airtight? I am trying to join two metallic pieces to each other and, short of welding, I am stuck as to how to do this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. If you have one of these systems please check all your seals carefully. CO2 is heavier than air and at relatively low concentrations is poisonous.

 

[bugs]

I'm not familiar with these regs. At first I assumed it was threaded until you mentioned welding. If I've got the wrong end of the stick, and it is threaded, then I'm fairly certain you can get PTFE tape for gas (as opposed to the more normal water joint version). If it's not threaded then how is it currently joined?

 

[phillarrow]

It is threaded. The weld comment was supposed to be a joke. I thought CO2 penetrated all kinds of PTFE tape?

 

[Steve Smith]

As far as I know it should seal itself. I take it you've tried tightening it up? Might be defective. Dan had problems with a regulator from malaysia and had to have it swapped (after jumping through some hoops to prove it was faulty).

Might be worth contacting the seller if you can't fix it?

 

[phillarrow]

After discovering a few other problems on my dodgy ebay system I decided to give up and bought an Aqua Medic unit from TGM yesterday. I got a great price for it and fitted it in seconds - no problems, great, simple little unit. My dad always says "Buy cheap, pay twice"!!!!

 

[beeky]

How much did you get it for? What comes with it?

I was all set to get a set from ebay, but people do seem to be having a few problems with them.

 

[phillarrow]

They knocked money off for me as I've become a regular customer in recent months. The regulator retails at £79 and the solenoid at about £60 I think. I got them for less than that. The beauty of this is that the two are separate so you could buy the regulator first and add the solenoid when you've got the money (although when I suggested this Jimmy offered to let me have the solenoid, saying that I could pay at a later date when I can afford it - how good is that? It's like shopping in 1950 - and I mean that in a good way!). Also, the solenoid comes with a mounting bracket, making it really neat inside the cabinet.
If you want this system, give the lads a ring and explain that you are a member here and that another member recommended them and I'm sure they'll give you the best deal they can.