Mo equipment mo problems - (dual-stage vs. UP inline)

[Shinobi]

Hello again, another week another problem.

So just yesterday I received my new Dual stage regulator by the brand Oxyturbo along with a new bubble counter from Aquasabi. The purpose was to quit using PH controller and keep the CO2 stable with a timer insted. therefore I invested in this equipment in order to regulate and stabilize the rate of CO2 coming out of my UP inline. I assembled the regulator along with the bubble counter and tried to adjust the needle valve without connecting it to the diffusor. this worked fine, with no problem fine tuning the bubbles per second going out.
As soon as i connected it to the diffusser the preset rate of 2 bubbles per second, lowered to about 1 every 3 or so - even after i waited for the presure to build up in order to get the diffuser going. At this point I was running the working presure at 2,75 BAR and turning the needle valve didnt seem to have any effect other than keeping the CO2 completely shut or coming out at the same rate no matter how much i turned and waited. I then tried upping the working presure to about 3,3 BAR that did seem to increase the BPS, but turning the needle valve still dosnt seem to allow for fine tuning as hoped.
Am I doing something wrong here? is the regulator faulty? or is it some common issue with going inline?
please help.

 

[doylecolmdoyle]

Pretty sure the up-aqua inline atomizor only needs about 2 bar pressure so I would have thought the original working pressure of 2.75 bar was enough, check that the up-aqua inline unit isnt cracked, may need to spray with soapy water.

 

[Zeus.]

Running my up inline atomiser via duel stage regulator at about 4bar, any higher and bubbles get too big. Think the lower the pressure the smaller the bubbles OFC. But if too low for setup will take longer to get the volume of gas to pass though the atomisor.
Getting the balance right can be tricky.

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[Shinobi]

Running my up inline atomiser via duel stage regulator at about 4bar, any higher and bubbles get too big. Think the lower the pressure the smaller the bubbles OFC. But if too low for setup will take longer to get the volume of gas to pass though the atomisor.
Getting the balance right can be tricky.

Sent from Mountolympus via neural interface

But why run it on such a High pressure instead of going lower and using needle valve to adjust the output ?

 

[zozo]

I would say too, you probably have a tiny leak in the system somewhere.. You do not mention the tubing, if this is a (too) soft like silicone, it could be the case that the higher co2 pressure and the diffusers counter pressure inflates the tubing. Than the tiny corrections you make with the needle valve will have very little to no effect.

These are the only 2 things i can think off.. A leak or wrong tubing..

 

[Shinobi]

I would say too, you probably have a tiny leak in the system somewhere.. You do not mention the tubing, if this is a (too) soft like silicone, it could be the case that the higher co2 pressure and the diffusers counter pressure inflates the tubing. Than the tiny corrections you make with the needle valve will have very little to no effect.



These are the only 2 things i can think off.. A leak or wrong tubing..

I use "high pressure" co2 tubing. Can't seem to locate any leaks /:

 

[zozo]

It's very difficult to say where the fualt lays from a distance, the way you describe it, it points more to the diffuser/atomizer or the needle valve. Needle valves can be different design from the thread pitch on the needle shaft. If the pitch is very small you need more turns to up the flow than if the pitch is larger. With all the different designs and sorts of needlevalves with different personal experiences around makes it hard to say something about it.

What you could try to do is. Plug the end of the tube where the atomizer should be, so it doesn't leak.. Put pressure on the system so the gauge reads the set pressure. Then close the co2 bottle valve.. Now the system is under the set pressure, if there is no leak and proper tubig is used, it actualy should theoreticaly indefinitely stay on the set pressure.. So if you monitor the set pressure gauge the next 24 hours e.g reading 3 bar and you see the peressure drop over time, than there is definitively a leak somewhere. If you can't find it externaly, it likely is leaking somewhere internaly in a faulty device. Which one remains the question..

Mind the temperature differences during the day, which can cause little pressure difference in co2. If there is a leak eventualy the pressure will drop to 0.. If it is still under relative the same pressure after 24 hours, than a leak in front of the atomizer likely aint the cause..

 

[Zeus.]

But why run it on such a High pressure instead of going lower and using needle valve to adjust the output ?

Adjusting the needle was giving no increase in BBS, so increased the working pressure.

 

[Shinobi]

Adjusting the needle was giving no increase in BBS, so increased the working pressure.

Similar problem here. Just weird why my cheap single stage were able to increase its output by using its needle valve... hmmm

 

[Shinobi]

It's very difficult to say where the fualt lays from a distance, the way you describe it, it points more to the diffuser/atomizer or the needle valve. Needle valves can be different design from the thread pitch on the needle shaft. If the pitch is very small you need more turns to up the flow than if the pitch is larger. With all the different designs and sorts of needlevalves with different personal experiences around makes it hard to say something about it.

What you could try to do is. Plug the end of the tube where the atomizer should be, so it doesn't leak.. Put pressure on the system so the gauge reads the set pressure. Then close the co2 bottle valve.. Now the system is under the set pressure, if there is no leak and proper tubig is used, it actualy should theoreticaly indefinitely stay on the set pressure.. So if you monitor the set pressure gauge the next 24 hours e.g reading 3 bar and you see the peressure drop over time, than there is definitively a leak somewhere. If you can't find it externaly, it likely is leaking somewhere internaly in a faulty device. Which one remains the question..

Mind the temperature differences during the day, which can cause little pressure difference in co2. If there is a leak eventualy the pressure will drop to 0.. If it is still under relative the same pressure after 24 hours, than a leak in front of the atomizer likely aint the cause..

I get your point. Only thing is this would mean that I had to throw the tank off balance for 24 hours with no Co2 etc.

 

[zozo]

I get your point. Only thing is this would mean that I had to throw the tank off balance for 24 hours with no Co2 etc.

Yes obviously... If it throws he tank off balance, i doubt that a bit.. What drastic disaster would happen? It happened to me a few times, i work with a pH controller, switched it off during filter maintenance and forgot to switch it on again. .. The longest is for about 3 days.. Alzheimer light i guess..
But actualy never noticed a difference in the tank itself, at least nothing to drastic to be noticable and worry about..

 

[Zeus.]

Similar problem here. Just weird why my cheap single stage were able to increase its output by using its needle valve... hmmm

Sounds like your single stage regulator has a higher working pressure. Duel stage regulators have finer control and hence no end of tank dump too.
Your diffuser might just need a higher working pressure to work.

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[Shinobi]

Im recieving the latest version of the UP, which apparently got its connections glued together again.
So will test on that and see what happens

 

[Zeus.]

After reading this thread turned my working pressure down a bit 10PSI approx, took double the time to reach target pH today. So turned it back up again tonight.
My diffusers probably in need of a clean and soak in citric acid too.

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