# Co2 Solenoid



## AverageWhiteBloke (26 Sep 2010)

Anyone got any experience with this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT
I was thinking of getting one now I'm away working mainly. Will I also need some different tubing? I think I once read somewhere you need rigid stuff as oppose the soft stuff I'm using now.


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## amy4342 (26 Sep 2010)

I've had two of these - both run brilliantly with no problems. One gave up the ghost after 2 years and a few weeks-just after the guarantee ran out, but the other is still working after 3 years and about 4 months. I replaced the broken one with the same model and that one is working fine for me too. So a good review from me anyways.

You'll need co2 tubing to go with it - a few of our sponsors sell it if you check out their sites.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (26 Sep 2010)

Cheers for that, which tubing the rigid or soft?


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## GHNelson (26 Sep 2010)

Hi
I have a couple of these solenoids no problems. Ive used both type of tubing on these solenoids......its your choice.
Soft is easier to get onto glassware.
hoggie


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## amy4342 (26 Sep 2010)

As long as it's marked as co2 tubing it doesn't matter. Soft is easier to get onto the connections and glassware.


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (26 Sep 2010)

AWB

One of the guy's on here had a slight problem, no co2 flowing when switch on - we narrowed the problem down and found out that the gas will flow only one way through the valve - the gas must flow the same as the arrow states. 

Regards
Paul.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (27 Sep 2010)

> the gas must flow the same as the arrow states



Thanks noted   I ordered one today as well as some tubing from AE and some other bits and pieces I needed, I got a boyu diffuser as well the other day, vastly better than the one I had. Hopefully I can get back home full time shortly and get back into my tank, not literally   

For now I've dropped one 20watt light tube out the equation and reduced lighting times by half an hour. I've just been daily dosing at the weekend then dropping four days worth in before I leave the house on Monday. Hopefully if I can get the co2 set up right I should be ok. Last time I was away I never had time to to a water change before I went and a rather large bronze cory went tail up on me which the missus never spotted   fair to say I came back to a mess.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (5 Oct 2010)

How long are these meant to take to depressurise? The first night I used it it seemed to stop about 15mins after the timer was set but tonight after one hour it was still running. I tried knocking it on and off a few times and it seems to have stopped now even though nothing was audible on the unit when switching on/off.

If you don't count me switching it a couple of times about half an hour ago which could have pressured it up again that's took 1 and half hours after the timer is this normal? Just a bit concerned where I would stand with warranty after cutting the plug off.


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## Charlieh (6 Oct 2010)

If it's working properly gas shutoff should be instant. Mine used to leak a bubble a minute or so so I took it apart. Not the same model but same principle I expect. Inside there will be a plunger with a rubber seal and a return spring. When the power is on the solenoid pulls the plunger up so gas can flow and when off the plunger is pushed against a small nozzle by the spring. I cured mine by putting in a new spring but the tolerance is really fine - a fraction of a mm means the plunger won't seal or release so I had to pad it by trial and error until it worked. It's fine now. If yours is new though I would get an exchange


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Oct 2010)

I will try again tonight and see what happens, I might even test it without the timer I have bought cheap timers before for lighting and sometimes they don't knock on. I turned down the bar pressure but not the bubble rate to see if that helps. I don't know which way round these things work, whether the powers on holding the valve shut against the pressure of the co2 or the co2 pressure shuts the valve when the powers off if that makes sense?
I'm guessing being powered on will hold the valve open. I know when I knocked it on for the first time I heard the solenoid click in but can't seem to hear it now.

BTW when I opened the bag there was a round plastic ring probably about 6mm diameter in there that didn't seem to come from anywhere, the only place it would fit was in the hole where the central body is held together but didn't seem to have a purpose. No instructions so I just put it to one side! Is there something I'm missing here?


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (6 Oct 2010)

AWB
When the power is switched on or off the solenoid valve should click - what happens when you manually operate the valve (no timer) - adaptor plug in the mains socket, solenoid valve plug in adaptor socket and switching the power on / off via the switch on the twin or single main socket.

Regards
paul.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (6 Oct 2010)

I will try again tonight m8, last night I had my head inside the cabinet but all I could hear was the bubble counter and my cabinet was full of stuff that need pulled out(my missus uses my cabinet as somewhere to put all the gubbins round the house that doesn't have a place to live   ) so I can get my ear next to it, wasn't enough slack on the tubing and was getting a bit late to start pulling stuff out and the lights had just gone out on the tank. I was going to have to disturb things too much and then put them back before I left for work, it was still off this morning though.

Starting to wish I never cut the plug off and got an adapter.


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## bogwood (6 Oct 2010)

AverageWhiteBloke said:
			
		

> I will try again tonight and see what happens, I might even test it without the timer I have bought cheap timers before for lighting and sometimes they don't knock on. I turned down the bar pressure but not the bubble rate to see if that helps. I don't know which way round these things work, whether the powers on holding the valve shut against the pressure of the co2 or the co2 pressure shuts the valve when the powers off if that makes sense?
> I'm guessing being powered on will hold the valve open. I know when I knocked it on for the first time I heard the solenoid click in but can't seem to hear it now.
> 
> BTW when I opened the bag there was a round plastic ring probably about 6mm diameter in there that didn't seem to come from anywhere, the only place it would fit was in the hole where the central body is held together but didn't seem to have a purpose. No instructions so I just put it to one side! Is there something I'm missing here?



Your not the only person to find one of these little washers in the bag.
I have 3 put to one side, so far not found a use for them.
Sorry to hear about your problems, mine have all been problem free. Switch off and on instantly. Obviousley it takes some minutes for the CO2 in the tube to go, quiet hypnotic watching the bubble rate slow down.


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## Charlieh (6 Oct 2010)

The hard click when the solenoid is turned on is the plunger hitting the base of its housing. I don't get it on mine any more but it still works. I agree with Fly - try it without the timer just to check.

I got one of those plastic rings (maybe 2mm thick and white ?) with my needle valve. I assumed it was just a spacer washer to prevent it being tightened into the regulator too much - my nv is connected directly into the regulator


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## Dolly Sprint 16v (6 Oct 2010)

Hi All

The white ring is a sealing washer, you can remove the centre portion of the solenoid valve (gas connections) by undoing one pipe connection then slide the other hlaf out of the body of the reg. Here is a picture of the valve connected directly to the reg.






Regards
Paul.


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## bogwood (6 Oct 2010)

Thanks Paul. 
 Makes sense, ive still got them should i connect directly.
The mystery is solved.


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## JAS (6 Oct 2010)

I might be repeating what Paul was saying because I'm not exactly sure where he meant the sealing washer should go. I'm sorry if this is the same information.

The small cylindrical nylon tube (maybe about 6mm diameter x 3mm long) is for sealing between the reg and the solenoid, or between any parallel threads with a flat face. The JBL and Lunapet solenoids have a removable fitting on the input side with a flat-faced male 1/8" parallel thread for connecting the solenoid directly to the regulator. The nylon spacer goes *inside* the female socket on the regulator and is crushed between the faces of the reg and solenoid to form a seal when the solenoid is tightened up. You don't need PTFE tape or anything else to seal the solenoid to the reg, the washer will do the job.

One note of caution: once the nylon spacer is crushed in there, it's not coming back out.

If you've ever removed the needle valve on a D-D/Lunapet reg, or even unscrewed the gauges, you'll have noticed a translucent plastic material pressed deep in the socket. It's the same thing.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (7 Oct 2010)

Good news it worked last night   Not sure if it was the timer or maybe the solenoid was maybe a bit sticky with first time use. I looked at the timer as well to see if the buttons were all properly depressed and some were a bit half and half.

I tried it twice to be on the safe side, maybe knocking it on and off repeatedly freed it up. Thanks for the advice on the washer I will keep it in a safe place just in case.


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