# have i set my FE up right?



## aaronnorth (13 Jun 2008)

well my reg from aquatic magic arrived today, slightly different, on the pic they advertised, the bC was upright when fixed to the needle valve, on mine it is horizontal so i have attached the reg like this:






will this be ok?

also when i fill the BC up with water, will it not run back into the solenoid? or should i put a check valve before it? I have one just above the BC

thanks, couldnt believe how simple it was to set up  just need to get a 2 pin plug adapter


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## JamesM (13 Jun 2008)

I've heard loads of bad things about those bubble counters leaking and breaking, so I removed mine from both regs and used a cheap alternative. Your setup looks ok to me though


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## TDI-line (13 Jun 2008)

I think you may need a check valve.


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## aaronnorth (13 Jun 2008)

TDI-line said:
			
		

> I think you may need a check valve.



Before the BC? I already have one after it


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## JamesM (13 Jun 2008)

iirc, that counter has a check valve built in.

Don't take my word for it though, email AquaticMagic


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## TDI-line (13 Jun 2008)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> TDI-line said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Mine is between the BC and night shut off valve, so protects those expensive items.

Here is a link to mine..  - the nsov

http://www.dennerle.de/en/HG26UG01.htm


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## bare bottom (13 Jun 2008)

my reg turned up today too.

My bubble counter was a pain to screw on the needle valve almost like a had to recut the threads, and yes it sits the same way as yours.

anyway on the box it says the bubble counter has a check valve built in.

I need a new plud adapter as my old solenoid has a european small round two pin set up and this looks USA ish.


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## JamesM (13 Jun 2008)

bare bottom said:
			
		

> my reg turned up today too.
> 
> My bubble counter was a pain to screw on the needle valve almost like a had to recut the threads, and yes it sits the same way as yours.
> 
> ...


The plug should fit in the round two pin adaptors - mine does. You could also just cut it off and put a uk plug in it, but this might mess your warranty.


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## Ed Seeley (14 Jun 2008)

There is a check valve in the base of the bubble counter.  I have the same gear but with a splitter to two needle valves and bubble counters to run two tanks at different bubble rates.  When setting it up I put some PTFE tape on all the screw threads on the bubble counter and it's been fine so far.  I am losing water out of the bubble counters but it is all from evaporation as the CO2 bubbles through.  How can I be sure of this?  The rate of water loss is about twice as much in the BC with double the bubble rate and there is no water dripping out anywhere.  The same thing also happens in all my glass BCs where there is no way the water can leak out!

I really like this set up and the way it's all self contained with no need for extra bits on the line.


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## aaronnorth (14 Jun 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> There is a check valve in the base of the bubble counter.  I have the same gear but with a splitter to two needle valves and bubble counters to run two tanks at different bubble rates.  When setting it up I put some PTFE tape on all the screw threads on the bubble counter and it's been fine so far.  I am losing water out of the bubble counters but it is all from evaporation as the CO2 bubbles through.  How can I be sure of this?  The rate of water loss is about twice as much in the BC with double the bubble rate and there is no water dripping out anywhere.  The same thing also happens in all my glass BCs where there is no way the water can leak out!
> 
> I really like this set up and the way it's all self contained with no need for extra bits on the line.



Thanks Ed, whats the PTFE tape for?


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## Ed Seeley (15 Jun 2008)

The PTFE tape seals around threaded connections and also helps the male and female connections slide further allowing you to tighten up the thread even further.  It's a standard thing to use in threaded fittings in plumbing.


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## JamesM (15 Jun 2008)

Doesn't co2 eat away at ptfe tape?


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (15 Jun 2008)

PTFE tape is uselses on FE's as the seal isnt made there.. its made between the seat deep in the reg.

dont bother with it, its meant for gas fittings where the seal is made around the circumference of the joints.


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## Ed Seeley (16 Jun 2008)

Matt Holbrook-Bull said:
			
		

> PTFE tape is uselses on FE's as the seal isnt made there.. its made between the seat deep in the reg.
> 
> dont bother with it, its meant for gas fittings where the seal is made around the circumference of the joints.



The PTFE isn't on the seat onto the FE.  As you said the seal is in the washer, not the threads.  I use it on the threaded fittings in the bubble counters where the seal is around the edge of the joints.

PTFE is a very stable plastic and is fine with CO2 as far as I am aware.  The issues come when it is used where it doesn't do anything (like on the fitting to the FE) and gets folded over and trapped between the washer allowing CO2 to leak out.


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## Matt Holbrook-Bull (16 Jun 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> The PTFE isn't on the seat onto the FE.  As you said the seal is in the washer, not the threads.  I use it on the threaded fittings in the bubble counters where the seal is around the edge of the joints.



that makes much more sense!!  

There seems to be alot of people thinking that PTFE'ing the threaded collet makes a difference!  

One thing I have found makes a good deal of difference though on the main seal is a nylon washer, it takes up alot of the variation in regulator appature sizes. I got a handful from my fire extinguisher man.. once fitted I got nearly 1/4 extra life out of the tank due to a good fit. was quite surprised. Worth investigating.


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