Help with CA reactor

[JavyJaverson]

i just hooked up a CA reactor and i need help controlling the co2. I opened up the main valve on the tank and tried to adjust the regulator but a lot of gas went into the reactor. Basically i'm having trouble fine tuning it. Can anyone help me?

 

[JavyJaverson]

nm i think i got it

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

did you adjust the neddle valve to one bubble per second to start

 

[cisco1717]

am not an expert but i can pass by since ur not far from corona if u still need help

 

[JavyJaverson]

i have a new problem now, i set up the bubble count to 30 per minute, but after 5 -10 minutes it slows down and stops. I check the hoses for leaks and nothing. The regulator is an aquamedic btw. Cisco, pm me whenever you can.

 

[polywise]

what preasure do you have the regulator set at? should be turned down to 8-12 psi on the regulator, then make your fine tune adjust on the needle valve. Also, how much tubing do you have between the regulator and the bubble counter?

 

[JavyJaverson]

the regulator i have (aquamedic) is preset to operate at a 22psi or something like that, at least that's what i read in a forum. The only thing i can really adjust on it is the needle valve, unless there is something hidden that i can't see. The tubing btwn the regulator and the bubble counter is about 3 feet and there is a check valve in the middle.

 

[polywise]

does regulator have (2) preasure gauges?
regulator does not have a screw that you can adjust? (other than the needle valve)
what's your main tank preassure?
Does your reaction chamber have a gauge? and if so what's the preassure in your reaction chamber?

Jim C.

 

[JavyJaverson]

yea 2 pressure gauges, the cylinder is full and the gauge reads 900psi, the other reads the working pressure between 20-30, from what i can see there is nothing other than the needle valve for adjusting. this is the manual http://www.aqua-medic.com/products/docs/CO2_Pressure_Regulator.pdf

by reaction chamber do you mean the reactor itself? it does not have a gauge on it.

 

[JavyJaverson]

i just submerged the check valve part of the co2 line and bubbles came out of the "in" line where the gas hose connects to the nipple of the check valve piece. i suspect this isn't supposed to happen?

 

[polywise]

ok so you have a single chamber reactor.
I think you should get rid of the inline check valve.

after direct connect of your co2 line from regulator to your recactor, try this


close the co2 tank, and run your reactor, letting it build preassure, and normalize.
After a few minutes of running you want to adjust the flow. what is the flow out of the reactor like? it should be adjusted to be dripping, not flowing. dripping drops, almost fast enough to create a constant flow, but not quite there (get it?)

now use the needle valvem, and adjust the bubble flow in the bubble counter to be about 1 bubble / second. you will probably have to tweak it a few times over a hour to keep it at 1/second. Do you have a ph monitor? you will want to check the output of the reactor in about a day. try to have ph output from the reactor be in a range of 6.4 to 6.5. If you are above that, increase the bubble count (slightly) to reduce your reactor PH. if you are lower than 6.4 to 6.5 then reduce the bubble count(slightly). Check it a day later. make MINORchanges over a week, and you will be good to go. going forward keep a eye on the output PH every day or so to make sure it is stable.
Hope this helps
Jim C.

 

[polywise]

any luck?