Official: Masterflex Calcium Reactor Setup Thread

[Piper27]

Need more info on what is "noisy" is the noise coming from the head or does the noise remain if the head is removed and the drive is turned on? There may be something that can be done to lessen noise but we will need more info, and from the age I'm guessing it's a brushed motor and it will not operate silently, it will have a decently loud "hum" even at low RPM that I'd compare to an average PC fan, different sound but similar sound level.

Also looks like one of the quick load heads but my guess from your pic is you cut the tubing too short and the tension is too high, it looks kind of streached over the rollers from the pic. There is normally a little "pop" where the rollers jump ahead slightly as it clears the tubing at the top of the head but they should roll about the same speed thru a full revolution. Refer back to the onwer's manual for that head to make sure you properly installed the tubing.

Thanks! I will do some work and update. Hopefully its not junk. I think my tubing is to tight for sure though.

 

[janey]

Ok, fig out which way it pulls from. But it didnt really pull water from the cup. I had to blow water into the tube. and it came out the other why ..LOL.
I will be pulling effluent out of the reactor.






Question.. The Ph Probe i calibrate with a 4.0 to 7.0 solution right ?

 

[Greg 45]

You can change direction of pump circle arrows above locking handle . I have the same unit , works like a charm . Also it will take a little bit of time to prime .

 

[slief]

Ok, fig out which way it pulls from. But it didnt really pull water from the cup. I had to blow water into the tube. and it came out the other why ..LOL.
I will be pulling effluent out of the reactor.






Question.. The Ph Probe i calibrate with a 4.0 to 7.0 solution right ?

If it's not priming, it could be because of the tubing you are using. Do you know what tubing you are using in that thing? It has to be LS15, 24,35, 36. LS 17 Tubing probably won't work correctly in that head.

 

[zachts]

Thanks! I will do some work and update. Hopefully its not junk. I think my tubing is to tight for sure though.

As long as the motor turns it can be used for something, as I recall someone mentioned they had a really old one that was all sorts of worn out and loud as hell, but they located it in the garage and it worked great!

Don't forget these things can pump a tremendous distance and work well located remotely, even a floor or two difference in height and at the opposite end of the house provided you can route the tubing to and from the tank. If nothing else, always good for Remote ATO or Auto Water Change later on. But as far as I am aware there is no reason that it couldn't be located remotely from the reactor as well and work just as good as if it were right next to the thing, of course that makes fine tuning a little harder but the great thing is this is set and forget once dialed in.

 

[Greg 45]

Slief is it better to pull water out of a reactor / or push water into a reactor.
Does it matter ???

 

[janey]

Its a LS 17 Tubing

 

[slief]

Its a LS 17 Tubing

I don't think LS17 tubing will work for that head. I could be wrong but I am 100% certain that the head isn't intended for use with LS17 tubing and it could be that it's allowing air to pass through the tubing and the rollers which is likely why it won't stay primed.

 

[slief]

Slief is it better to pull water out of a reactor / or push water into a reactor.
Does it matter ???

Per many posts in this thread, most of us are pulling the water through the reactors as opposed to pushing it through. The pumps are capable of pretty good pressure and pulling water through them reduces the chances of water leaks from the reactor.

 

[d2mini]

Question.. The Ph Probe i calibrate with a 4.0 to 7.0 solution right ?

Yes.

Its a LS 17 Tubing

It says right on the pump head which tubing to use. LS 17 isn't one of the choices.

 

[zachts]

Its a LS 17 Tubing

If memory serves from a couple pages back LS 24 will have the same inner diameter so you could use the same connections you have now. Just need the correct tubing. You could try Ebay, or talk to Cole Parmer and request a sample, they might be nice and send you a couple feet rather than a whole roll...........Likewise there's been a number of people as of late that have that same pump head perhaps a group buy is in order and you all could split the cost of a full role?

 

[janey]

Actually its a 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD x 1/16" Wall PharMed® Tubing
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25534
This what " tkeracer619" recommended..


Question my MRC dual reactor do i have to fill it with water first before i start the pump too it?? I turn it on and nothing..I,m running a hose into the sump.coming out the input of the blueline pump 0f the reactor..

 

[janey]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
This Hobby is killing me...Mind you i've been at for 27years..
The new Cole-Parmer Masterflex Easy-Load II Pump Head Model 77200-62 had a sample tubing Duuuuu....Yeah Big difference..
Its the one in the right...thats correct. It says Masterflex 96410-15

 

[slief]

Actually its a 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD x 1/16" Wall PharMed® Tubing
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25534
This what " tkeracer619" recommended..

LS17 tubing is what's recommended by Tk as well as most others and is what most of us use but we bought heads that were designed for LS17 (3/8OD x 1/4ID) tubing. Your head is not designed for LS17 tubing. It's designed for LS15, 24, 35 & 36 tubing which are different that LS17. If the correct tubing isn't used, the rollers may not fully compress the tubing and allow it to siphon or prevent priming. Worse, you could damage your head. In looking at some specs I could find on LS15 tubing, that appears to be smaller ID but the tubing but I am not sure how the OD as well as tubing wall thickness compares to LS17 to be sure if your siphon issue could be the result of using the wrong head for your tubing size or the wrong tubing for your head size.

 

[slief]

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
This Hobby is killing me...Mind you i've been at for 27years..
The new Cole-Parmer Masterflex Easy-Load II Pump Head Model 77200-62 had a sample tubing Duuuuu....Yeah Big difference..
Its the one in the right...thats correct. It says Masterflex 96410-15

I just replied and see you figured out what I and D2 mini were trying to point out. Now that said, the material wall is thinner on the one on the right. That I think is the LS15 tubing. The one of the left shouldn't be preventing a proper priming (although I could be wrong) but it could damage the head assuming it's the LS17 tubing.

 

[herring_fish]

I think that I want to eventually build a calcium reactor but I don't know enough about them yet and I would like to get some help in planning. I want to build a reactor that will be out in the garage so height is not an issue. Let's say that I will make a dual chamber system with the flow running from bottom to top. I might use 6 inch diameter tubes for the chambers because I already use them for another project.

Will having tall chambers allow the fine powder to settle out before going to the recirculating pump and therefore potentially increase its life? If so, when would it be over kill?

 

[janey]

Slief you are right .. and D2 mini.
At least i got a sample that should work.

 

[d2mini]

I think that I want to eventually build a calcium reactor but I don’t know enough about them yet and I would like to get some help in planning. I want to build a reactor that will be out in the garage so height is not an issue. Let’s say that I will make a dual chamber system with the flow running from bottom to top. I might use 6 inch diameter tubes for the chambers because I already use them for another project.

Will having tall chambers allow the fine powder to settle out before going to the recirculating pump and therefore potentially increase its life? If so, when would it be over kill?

You should start a thread in the DIY forum, where you should get more answers to your questions.
This thread is specifically about the Masterflex pumps.

 

[herring_fish]

Yes I will when I get closer to building one. I was just thinking that this group is working with a particular flow rate and therefore I might get a different answer to that question over there.

 

[guc32]

Actually its a 1/4" ID x 3/8" OD x 1/16" Wall PharMed® Tubing
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25534
This what " tkeracer619" recommended..


Question my MRC dual reactor do i have to fill it with water first before i start the pump too it?? I turn it on and nothing..I,m running a hose into the sump.coming out the input of the blueline pump 0f the reactor..

Yes fill your reactor up with water because that recirculating pump needs water to run.

Fill it up, run the recirc pump, if you have a feed pump run that, then run your cole pump pulling from the effluent port.