CO2 gages & operation?

Mike Murphy · 08/08/2008, 04:42 PM

I bought a used reactor from a fellow hobbyist with no instructions. Schuran Calcium reactor with tank and electric solenoid & dual gages. Just got the tank filled and opened the main valve and the opposite side of the gages has an opening that is allowing the CO2 to escape. It looks as if it could be an additional solenoid hookup with a brass threaded insert and a spring behind it. Might take a special key but until I can close it or tighten it I'm not going to vent all of this into the air.

Advise?

Mike Murphy · 08/08/2008, 05:09 PM

OK it seems to be a bleeder valve. I took a paper clip and turned it enough to get it closed. Looks like you open the bottle, open the main valve on the gage and use the small valve on the solenoid to control the bubble count right?

jdieck · 08/08/2008, 05:19 PM

What is the brand of the CO2 regulator? any pictures??

A regulator has several components:
a) Adapter to conect to the cylinder valve.
b) THe main body that contains the diaphragm that regulates the output /. delivery pressure.
c) May or may not have a large knob in the center of the main body. That knob is used to set the delivery pressure, for a calcium recator the delivery pressure is usually set between 10 and 20 psi in single diaphragm regulators or 5 to 10 psi in dual stache regulators, the ones that do not have the center pressure adjusting knob are usually preset.
d) Two pressure gauges. The one closer to the cylinder is to read the cylinder pressure, when the cylinder conatins product it shall read between 750 and 900 psi, the other gauge is the one reading the output/delivery pressure.
e) in the output the regulator shall have one solenoid valve to turn the CO2 supply on and off by a controller, if not using a controller the solenoid shall be directly conected to a wall outlet when the regulator is in use.
f) A needle valve, used to adjust the CO2 flow to the reactor (bubble rate)

When conecting the regulator to the cylinder and before opening the cylinder valve, first un-screw the pressure adjusting knob to prevent a sudden pressure peak to damage the output gauge then slowly screw it in until the ouput gauge reads the desired pressure.

Mike Murphy · 08/08/2008, 06:21 PM

I have a set of tanks that I weld with so the gage setup I understand. One shows the amount in the tank itself and the other is the output to the solenoid and the needle valve is on the side with the feed line.

jdieck · 08/08/2008, 07:02 PM

One diference of the CO2 versus Oxygen is that the cylinder pressure with oxygen gradually reduces as the product gets consummed. In the CO2 cylinder the pressure do not drop until the cylinder is empty.
CO2 inside the cylinder is in liquid form, as you consume the CO2 the liquid bubbles up to replace the gas consummed thus maintaining constant pressure in the cylinder until the liquid has been totally consumed so as soon as the cylinder gauge starts to drop it is time to refill the cylinder as it will drop very fast from that point on.

So what else do you need help with?

Mike Murphy · 08/08/2008, 08:07 PM

I think Im ok for now thanks

08/08/2008, 04:42 PM	#1
Mike Murphy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Greencastle, Indiana Posts: 258	CO2 gages & operation? I bought a used reactor from a fellow hobbyist with no instructions. Schuran Calcium reactor with tank and electric solenoid & dual gages. Just got the tank filled and opened the main valve and the opposite side of the gages has an opening that is allowing the CO2 to escape. It looks as if it could be an additional solenoid hookup with a brass threaded insert and a spring behind it. Might take a special key but until I can close it or tighten it I'm not going to vent all of this into the air. Advise?

08/08/2008, 05:19 PM	#3
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	What is the brand of the CO2 regulator? any pictures?? A regulator has several components: a) Adapter to conect to the cylinder valve. b) THe main body that contains the diaphragm that regulates the output /. delivery pressure. c) May or may not have a large knob in the center of the main body. That knob is used to set the delivery pressure, for a calcium recator the delivery pressure is usually set between 10 and 20 psi in single diaphragm regulators or 5 to 10 psi in dual stache regulators, the ones that do not have the center pressure adjusting knob are usually preset. d) Two pressure gauges. The one closer to the cylinder is to read the cylinder pressure, when the cylinder conatins product it shall read between 750 and 900 psi, the other gauge is the one reading the output/delivery pressure. e) in the output the regulator shall have one solenoid valve to turn the CO2 supply on and off by a controller, if not using a controller the solenoid shall be directly conected to a wall outlet when the regulator is in use. f) A needle valve, used to adjust the CO2 flow to the reactor (bubble rate) When conecting the regulator to the cylinder and before opening the cylinder valve, first un-screw the pressure adjusting knob to prevent a sudden pressure peak to damage the output gauge then slowly screw it in until the ouput gauge reads the desired pressure. __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium Last edited by jdieck; 08/08/2008 at 05:26 PM.

08/08/2008, 07:02 PM	#5
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	One diference of the CO2 versus Oxygen is that the cylinder pressure with oxygen gradually reduces as the product gets consummed. In the CO2 cylinder the pressure do not drop until the cylinder is empty. CO2 inside the cylinder is in liquid form, as you consume the CO2 the liquid bubbles up to replace the gas consummed thus maintaining constant pressure in the cylinder until the liquid has been totally consumed so as soon as the cylinder gauge starts to drop it is time to refill the cylinder as it will drop very fast from that point on. So what else do you need help with? __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

08/08/2008, 05:09 PM	#2
Mike Murphy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Greencastle, Indiana Posts: 258	OK it seems to be a bleeder valve. I took a paper clip and turned it enough to get it closed. Looks like you open the bottle, open the main valve on the gage and use the small valve on the solenoid to control the bubble count right?

08/08/2008, 06:21 PM	#4
Mike Murphy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Greencastle, Indiana Posts: 258	I have a set of tanks that I weld with so the gage setup I understand. One shows the amount in the tank itself and the other is the output to the solenoid and the needle valve is on the side with the feed line.

08/08/2008, 08:07 PM	#6
Mike Murphy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Greencastle, Indiana Posts: 258	I think Im ok for now thanks