DIY Kalkwasser Reactor Simpe Design

[ravi197699]

Hello RC, I have put together Kalkwasser Reactor that has been working for me and so far so good. I thought of sharing with you guys. You won't need expensive parts to put this together and I had most of the parts. But you can buy these cheap on ebay for sure. List of the parts are below.


1. Glass Vase 36" tall x7" diameter - Michaels - $13.00


2. Synchron 110v motor 3-5 RPM - ebay $10 - $15.00


3. 1/2" pvc and push fittings Lowes - $10.00 - $15.00


I connected the motor shaft with screws to 1/2" pvc cap that helps turn the pvc shaft that goes all the way down to the base of the vase. If you have acrylic tube that is fine as well but I found this vase for cheap so I went with glass vase. I glued 2 glass pieces that are silicone to the case of the "T" and glass pieces are tilted down so they still the powder gently and won't let the powder become sludge. Then I drilled water inlet at the bottom side of the vase but above the rotating "T" and another hole on the top 2.5" below the edge and I used silicone to make the push fittings water tight. Please let me know if you have any question.


Thanks and Happy Holidays...

 

[zachts]

Nice Build! Only thing you might want to tweak is the lid. I'd make it fit more air tight to limit the amount of air that can interact with the reactor water.

 

[ravi197699]

I was not aware that open top can be issue? Do you know what can be the issue if left like this?

 

[RocketEngineer]

The issue is that calcium hydroxide combines with CO2 in the air to make calcium carbonate. As calcium carbonate is insoluble in water, it collects as a film on the surface of the container over time. Since your outlet pulls off the surface of the container, the resultant film will eventually clog up the tubing that drains out of the reactor.

The goal with the cover is to minimize air contact so that this film can easily be removed when you recharge the reactor. I give mine a vinegar bath when the film starts getting out of control.

 

[ravi197699]

Thank you for your input I have noticed the film. I will cover and seal the top so I wont have this issue.

Thanks,

Rav