Help with a CO2 leak or bad regulator with CA Rx

[fatoldsun]

I'm new to CA reactors about 3 months ago I picked up a used MTC mini cal. It had a base line regulator and solenoid with it. pH controller is a milwaukee. Not sure how much came in the CO2 bottle but it lasted about 3 months with about 45-55 bubbles/ minute. I monitored the bottle levels but after a month or so I got lazy, checked about 1x a week. It seemed to go from full to empty quickly. Got an exchange bottle from a local welding supply. Hooked it up and I had gas but the regulator showed very low on the bottle and nothing on the flow. I tried hooking it up 2x. I had bubbles and it seemed to be working so I left it for few day well after a week bottle showed empty and I had bubbles for about another 2 days. I'm hoping to get an idea of my problem before I just keep getting bottle exchanges. Anyone have any guesses?
Thanks

 

[adesimone1]

45 to 55 bubbles is alot I had mine set at 10 to 15 bubbles per min. you must have a leak.

 

[fatoldsun]

45 to 55 bubbles is alot I had mine set at 10 to 15 bubbles per min. you must have a leak.

I looked back at my notes and I was actually at closer to 15-20 per minute - about every 2-3 seconds) but that wouldn't indicate a leak, right? if there's a leak I would assume it would be somewhere before the bubble counter so more CO2 is escaping into the atmosphere before it gets into the counter. This is why I am questioning the regulator - or maybe the hose/line from the solenoid out to the reactor is losing some CO2 -

 

[fatoldsun]

can I get the regulator pressure tested? - maybe at south jersey welding supply -- the place that I got the bottle exchanged?

 

[TanksNStuff]

Yes, SJ Welding supply can do testing and repairs if necessary on just about any pressure tank and equipment.

Sorry I never used a calc reactor, so I have nothing to offer you as far as advice on what your issue is with the leak.

 

[fatoldsun]

thanks george (have the helped you with scuba equipment?) - hopefully it can wait for the next state holiday since they tend to not be open "after-work" hours

 

[fatoldsun]

As George suggested, I had the regulator tested and it was shot.

lesson #1: you MUST fully back out the adjustment screw/knob (dropping PSI to 0 so the know/screw is lose - all pressure is off the spring in the regulator) before switching the bottles in or out. Looks like I skipped this step and it blew out the diaphragm in the regulator. This is why my bottle was spent in a week and why my PSI gauge was pinned "open" or "WOT"

lesson # 2: (regarding the MTC minical) the regulator sends CO2 to the reactor through the solenoid to a small hose to the bubble counter. I (stupidly) disconnected the regulator at the check valve (thinking it was a coupler and wanting to get as much as possible for the leak testing) and did not take care to keep track a small o-ring in the valve. I didn't know it was a check valve until I contacted MTC and spoke with Jeff. He is awesome – Flat out, he was a HUGE help. He proceeded to dispel every mistruth I had come to know about how to run a calcium reactor and lifted the shroud of mystery that I always thought was over them. I’m anxious to get the new check valve and try the tips he shared to get my reactor working as it was designed to…. He asked that I check back in a week or so after I get it up because he wanted me to try his setup protocol. He does not recommend use of the pH controller at all and says to go with 60 bubbles per minute and 50ml of output. After a week dkh should be between 10 and 12 which is optimum. He told me he doesn't even test for Ca - just dkh... Interesting. Also he said that the needle valve will get some Ca deposit after a week or so it may need to further adjusting. He said to expect everything to stabilize after about a week.

 

[TanksNStuff]

They didn't help me out with scuba stuff but our welders at work use them all the time. I think I also had a paintball air tank recertified there before too. I knew they would be able to test/ fix whatever problem you had.

Good that you got all that other info and tips on your cal reactor. Let us know how you make out once it's back up and running.

 

[fatoldsun]

Funny thing is Jeff from MTC is so knowledgable and was so anxious to offer help. He was in the phone with me for about 45 minutes and sent me an email to call him the next day b/c he forgot to mention some things. He mentioned that he saw my post in RC and proceeded to explain how the guy was probibly gonna throw his reactor out b/c he was getting tons of bad and conflicting advice - yet he didn't want to weigh in... Anyway, he developed the reactor I'm using so I guess I should take his advice. He recommends going w/o a pH controller. Simply look for 60 bubbles a minute of co2 and 50ml of output per minute. He also said he doesn't bother testing CA. Just dkh and that between 10 and 12. He asked me to update him in a week. Anyway the pump for the reactor was rigged with silicone when I got it. At the point that I'm getting everything tip-top I decided to order a replacement part to eliminate the "rig-job" so I ordered a replacement from Eheim. Guess that will set me back about a week or two...

 

[fatoldsun]

I need to stop using my phone for typing these long updates - It would be amazing if anyone could understand half of what I wrote. if anyone's following along, Jeff saw my post on RC but there was another guy who had an issue with "his 1st ca reactor" and that guy was close to throwing his away. I'm not chucking anything ...yet anyway...

as for my pump repair it looks like Eheim has shipped my part. It says Eheim of North America but I'm still not sure where in the US that may be shipped from - hopefully it's not coming from Germany. A lot of those places with European bases have US headquarters in NJ so here's hoping I'll get it soon. The part is the outlet coupler (threaded into the pump with a threaded output that hooks up to the reactor). The one that came with the reactor (bought used) was sheared off at the junction. Repair attempts had been made with crazy glue but it didn’t hold so it was just silicone in place. Jeff warned that I had a time bomb so I endeavored to correct it. I made a valiant effort to repair this part using super glue for plastics. I used some hose I had that was a close match to make a sleeve and wrapped it in wax paper so I could go heavy on the glue and remove it after it cured. It was PERFECT. After I finished letting it cure and patting myself on the back for a job well done I set it back up. Jeff had told me to use silicone to set it in and not Teflon tape. Well I wasn’t too confident in my repair so I ordered the replacement and decided that the interim repair would use Teflon and not silicone. Needless to say my awesome repair failed almost instantly. So it’s waiting for a new part – hence the hope that things move through the mail quickly….

 

[Mike S]

Out of curiosity does south jersey welding supply fill you bottle or just exchange them? I'm thinking about picking up a reactor but am thinking that I shouldn't bother you buying a new bottle if it just going to get swapped out.

Jeff from Mtc is very helpful. I was considering a used Mtc pro cal a while ago and sent him an email with a few questions. I ended up talking to him on the phone for about 30 minutes.

 

[fatoldsun]

I just exchanged mine. Maybe they'd fill yours but I think that you'd have to drop it off and leave it. You could probibly just buy one of theres and exchange them as needed.