How to build a CO2 regulator for your calcium reactor.

[GraviT]

If you're still in Wylie, TX as noted beneath your user handle, a quick search shows an Airgas branch in Garland, TX.

Yep, they're up over the 10 mile radius but may be a good option for fills. There is a welding supply shop a bit closer that does exchanges, so I somewhat wrote them off.

Google also suggests that I can get refills from WalMart, the beer/wine store in the next city over (also a bust), and a few other spots that the local home brew forums advised against as they never seem to fill the tanks.

 

[ReefWreak]

Time for me to post my regulator porn.

All the thanks in the world to LQT for his help in basically holding my hand through most of the process, picking the fittings, etc. Also to Alanle for the start of the thread and his interest and direction in this thread.

3 days so far so good, humming along at 13psi, because any lower than that and the check valves started to get stuck. There's still some questions I need to get answered, but I'm very happy, and my corals should be even happier.

If I decide to go really nuts with this, I have a CarbonDoser that I rebuilt, and could hook the solenoid and electronics to this setup, but for now I'm really happy with my fine-adjustment Swagelok vernier.

 

[LQT]

Nice job Eric! I ended up selling the nickel plated brass Matheson that I built earlier but helping you out gave me the itch to build another... This time in full stainless! I’ve got a stainless steel Victor SGT160B regulator and a stainless steel Hoke 1335G4Y metering valve on the way!

 

[LQT]

Look at what just showed up in the mail!

SGT160B

 

[GraviT]

Nice! I received more parts today, but I'm not ready for the money shots...yet.

Coincidentially, somebody in town posted on the city's Facebook group (aka hen chat) inquiring about refills, and there's a local propane distributor who just happens to sell CO2 as well. :thumbsup:

 

[650-IS350]

Alan,

If you can please get back to me ASAP. In regards to CO2 regulator that I got from you. I emailed you details in your yahoo email you provided me before.

Thanks,

 

[Misled]

Wow, the pics are fixed

So you know, I didn't get to this thread yet. Seems PB has decided to loosen their grip on a lot of pics. Their terms of service have changed again, so some people with only a small amount of pics will be ok now. Those of us with thousands of pics, not so much. :lol:

 

[alanle]

Alan,

If you can please get back to me ASAP. In regards to CO2 regulator that I got from you. I emailed you details in your yahoo email you provided me before.

Thanks,

Everyone please text me at 4086886617 if you have questions. I don't check emails


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[alanle]

Look at what just showed up in the mail!



SGT160B

Very nice find. This is a rare and great reg.


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[LQT]

Very nice find. This is a rare and great reg.


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Thanks Alan. I wasn’t too sure of the SGT160 model number until I re-skimmed this thread and saw your build of this exact same regulator on page 39. Seeing that, I jumped on it. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited to get this build going!

 

[LQT]

Getting there... Just waiting for my Hoke metering valve and stainless steel CGA-320 fitting to come in.

 

[ReefWreak]

Oooo looking slick LQT!

I'm having some issues with my regulator. If I leave the valves closed over an extended period of time, the low-pressure gauge climbs and eventually overpressurizes (maxes out the gauge). I imagine this means a leak... And at this point I'm not sure if I want to fix it.

Also, when I have the pressure low enough (at least I think it's from too low of pressure), I'm seeing a stream of microbubbles, not whole bubbles. Video below:

what could possibly be causing that? Do I need more water in the bubble counter for the bubbles to form? Is it because the volume of CO2 is too low at low PSI and the check valve is sticking shut?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9fA5jVfuJpw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[LQT]

It sounds like you have an internal leak in your regulator... see page one of this thread, post #12 by Alanle where he goes through the leak test procedure. With the knob turned all the way left to close, if CO2 is migrating from the the tank side of the regulator to the output side, then it sounds like the diaphragm in your regulator is not maintaining a seal.

As far as the microbubbles in your bubble counter, what check valve are you using? Do you know the check balve's cracking pressure? If the cracking pressure is too high, what typically happens is a bunch of gas gets trapped in the line before the check valve, then when enough pressure builds it will shoot out a spray of bubbles when enough pressure builds to open the check valve. Typically, it will ebb and flow like this without a sready and even bubble count. Is your stream of microbubbles a steady stream or does it ebb and flow intermittently?

 

[ReefWreak]

There's definitely an internal leak. Grrrr. I have a second low low PSI regulator (max in pressure 450PSI and max out is like 12 or 15 PSI) that I could hook up inline with this one, but just more expensive fittings to buy. There's no cheap or easy way out of that....

I bought an aquarium check valve, but no hobby grade check valve has ever listed the cracking pressure. The one I bought is the Deep Blue brand one. I have another one that I bought at the LFS, figuring it was better to spend an extra $2.00 while I was there and not have to make another trip if the first one wasn't working out. I'll try that and see if it makes a difference. Just super weird behavior. I'm tempted to try it without a check valve and see if it bubbles normally for a while.

I also still have to set up the peristaltic pump.... Haven't gotten around to setting that up/cleaning up my stand after wedging all of my weekly-use supplies in the bottom.

 

[LQT]

Try the Carbondoser that you fixed and see if the bubbles behave in a similar manner. Maybe because of the internal leak, you’re actually running at a higher PSI then you intend, hence the erratic spray of bubbles (I’m just guessing here).

 

[LQT]

Hoke 1300 metering valve just arrived in the mail! Now I just need the CGA-320 fitting to show up.

 

[solitude127]

sooooooooooo purdy...

 

[GraviT]

So...



SS-2-TA-1-2 -> SS-SM2-S2-A (1/8” tube to 1/8” male NPT), I need to put a small piece of 1/8” o.d. tubing in the union? I can’t see it sealing any other way.

I also have an SS-400-R-2 on the way, but it would attach the same way I think. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure why I ordered this one at all. A 1-4 might have made sense. Ah well

 

[GraviT]

Double post

 

[LQT]

See my build above? The 1/8” male NPT threaded end of your metering valve would be a straight fit into the female NPT end of the 1/8” street elbow. As far as the 1/8” tube end, you have the wrong connector. Give me a few moments to find the right tube adapter fitting.