How do you fix caclium reactor vapor lock?

deputydog95 · 05/13/2007, 06:33 PM

My co2 keeps stopping. I crank up the bubbles and then in a couple hours the bubbles slow down and eventually stop. I heard this is due to vapor lock. How do I fix this? This hasn't happened to me in a long time and I can't remember how I fixed this previously.

collins · 05/13/2007, 07:27 PM

if you have a Korallin or another brand of similar design, you just open the valve for the output at the top of the reactor to 1 drip per minute.

deputydog95 · 05/14/2007, 06:17 AM

It's a K2R. so slowing the drip down severely is what fixes it? I have been doing the complete opposite and opening the effluent. How does that work? I'd like to understand what is happening and how the fix works. That way I will probably remember next time.

manderx · 05/14/2007, 10:04 AM

i think most people call 'vapor lock' in a calcium reactor when you have so much gas co2 in the chamber that the recirc pump runs dry.

sounds like you are having the opposite problem, not enough co2 since the bubbles stop. you can probably just crank up the pressure at the regulator a bit (not the needle valve controlling the bubble rate but the regulator itself). could also just be a flakey regulator. i used to have one that i got from a welding-supply store that would not hold a bubblecount for more than a few hours no matter what.

deputydog95 · 05/14/2007, 10:12 AM

It's a blueline regulator, which is a quality unit from my research. I have been using it for around 3 years with almost no problems. Maybe it went bad. This is very frustrating. Maybe I'll try taking it off the tank and letting it dry out some, and then reinstalling it.

law086 · 05/14/2007, 07:17 PM

I'm having a similar issue with my MR-2. Let me know if you figure it out.

deputydog95 · 05/14/2007, 08:21 PM

I slowed the drip down and it still stopped. Not sure what to do now. Guess I'll have to try take the regulator off next and see if letting it dry out for a while helps...

Icefire · 05/14/2007, 09:06 PM

clean the regulator.

collins · 05/14/2007, 09:50 PM

deputydog95,
I thought you meant that CO2 was building up at the top of your reactor and that the gas build up was stopping the flow. If that is the case and if your reactor has 2 outputs (one at the very top and one lower), then you could apply my initial fix.

manderx · 05/15/2007, 08:26 AM

what do you have the working pressure set at?

deputydog95 · 05/15/2007, 08:33 AM

I just figured it out. I keep the working pressure at 20.

I've had very few problems with this setup over the years. One of the problems was me putting salt water in the bubble counter. For whatever reason, it didn't like that and the bubbles kept slowing down and stopping.

From then on out, I always used DI or distilled water. However, right before I went on vacation, I took some water from my DI water resovoir and put it in the bubble counter. I assumed it was fine. However, I do mix salt in that same vat.

I emptied that water out of the bubble counter and put some distilled water in there. Now it is running fine. I guess the DI water in my vat must have had enough salt contamination to stop the bubbles.

Thanks for everyone's help.

law086 · 05/15/2007, 05:15 PM

Hrm, I always put salt water in my bubble counter. I guess that's a no-no?

05/13/2007, 06:33 PM	#1
deputydog95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 966	How do you fix caclium reactor vapor lock? My co2 keeps stopping. I crank up the bubbles and then in a couple hours the bubbles slow down and eventually stop. I heard this is due to vapor lock. How do I fix this? This hasn't happened to me in a long time and I can't remember how I fixed this previously.

05/14/2007, 06:17 AM	#3
deputydog95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 966	It's a K2R. so slowing the drip down severely is what fixes it? I have been doing the complete opposite and opening the effluent. How does that work? I'd like to understand what is happening and how the fix works. That way I will probably remember next time. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 500 Peninsula, Apex Controller, Apex Wav (2), Apex DOS, Kessil 360WE (3), T5's (4), Kessil H160 Fuge light, RO Regal 150SSS Skimmer, RO DC Return Pump, Red Sea A&B

05/14/2007, 07:17 PM	#6
law086 Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: New Tripoli, PA Posts: 1,306	I'm having a similar issue with my MR-2. Let me know if you figure it out. __________________ "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year." Current Tank Info: 180 RR ~ 150g sump ~ 100g fuge ~ 30g frag tank ~ Bermuda Aquatics 8C on Mag18~ GenX 55 return ~ 3 SureFlow MaxiMods, Tunze 6000 ~ 40w Gamma UV ~ 175w x 3 MH ~ 160w x 2 VHO

05/14/2007, 08:21 PM	#7
deputydog95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 966	I slowed the drip down and it still stopped. Not sure what to do now. Guess I'll have to try take the regulator off next and see if letting it dry out for a while helps... __________________ Red Sea Reefer 500 Peninsula, Apex Controller, Apex Wav (2), Apex DOS, Kessil 360WE (3), T5's (4), Kessil H160 Fuge light, RO Regal 150SSS Skimmer, RO DC Return Pump, Red Sea A&B

05/14/2007, 09:06 PM	#8
Icefire Seasoned reefer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In Quebec, Canada Posts: 3,653	clean the regulator. __________________ Temp 80F, PH 8.5-8.0, Alk 6.8-7.2, Ca 430, Mg 1700, NO3 0-0.25, PO4 0.04, 34.4 PPT Lights @ 100% all others, 35% White Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 120lbs live rocks, Hydra52 2x120W, 2 MP40+ 1 MP10 @ 70%, Phosban 550 GFO+Carbon, 200W Heater, SWC Skimmer, Kalk ATO, 150 gpd RODI

05/13/2007, 07:27 PM	#2
collins Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 409	if you have a Korallin or another brand of similar design, you just open the valve for the output at the top of the reactor to 1 drip per minute.

05/14/2007, 10:04 AM	#4
manderx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Christiansburg, VA Posts: 4,893	i think most people call 'vapor lock' in a calcium reactor when you have so much gas co2 in the chamber that the recirc pump runs dry. sounds like you are having the opposite problem, not enough co2 since the bubbles stop. you can probably just crank up the pressure at the regulator a bit (not the needle valve controlling the bubble rate but the regulator itself). could also just be a flakey regulator. i used to have one that i got from a welding-supply store that would not hold a bubblecount for more than a few hours no matter what.

05/14/2007, 10:12 AM	#5
deputydog95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 966	It's a blueline regulator, which is a quality unit from my research. I have been using it for around 3 years with almost no problems. Maybe it went bad. This is very frustrating. Maybe I'll try taking it off the tank and letting it dry out some, and then reinstalling it.

05/14/2007, 09:50 PM	#9
collins Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 409	deputydog95, I thought you meant that CO2 was building up at the top of your reactor and that the gas build up was stopping the flow. If that is the case and if your reactor has 2 outputs (one at the very top and one lower), then you could apply my initial fix.

05/15/2007, 08:26 AM	#10
manderx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Christiansburg, VA Posts: 4,893	what do you have the working pressure set at?

05/15/2007, 08:33 AM	#11
deputydog95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 966	I just figured it out. I keep the working pressure at 20. I've had very few problems with this setup over the years. One of the problems was me putting salt water in the bubble counter. For whatever reason, it didn't like that and the bubbles kept slowing down and stopping. From then on out, I always used DI or distilled water. However, right before I went on vacation, I took some water from my DI water resovoir and put it in the bubble counter. I assumed it was fine. However, I do mix salt in that same vat. I emptied that water out of the bubble counter and put some distilled water in there. Now it is running fine. I guess the DI water in my vat must have had enough salt contamination to stop the bubbles. Thanks for everyone's help. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 500 Peninsula, Apex Controller, Apex Wav (2), Apex DOS, Kessil 360WE (3), T5's (4), Kessil H160 Fuge light, RO Regal 150SSS Skimmer, RO DC Return Pump, Red Sea A&B

05/15/2007, 05:15 PM	#12
law086 Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: New Tripoli, PA Posts: 1,306	Hrm, I always put salt water in my bubble counter. I guess that's a no-no? __________________ "We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year." Current Tank Info: 180 RR ~ 150g sump ~ 100g fuge ~ 30g frag tank ~ Bermuda Aquatics 8C on Mag18~ GenX 55 return ~ 3 SureFlow MaxiMods, Tunze 6000 ~ 40w Gamma UV ~ 175w x 3 MH ~ 160w x 2 VHO