mangoed
New Member
Hi, I’m having considerable trouble with a CO2 Injection System and wondered if anyone could help.
The product in question is a D-D Complete CO2 Set:
Although this was supposedly a representative photo, the product is no longer supplied with two gauges (only a low pressure gauge) or this bubble-counter/diffuser. It is, however, supplied with a pump. It is referred to as the Turbo Plus Model (the Standard Model is now unavailable, apparently).
Unfortunately, the instructions provided have not been comprehensively updated and appear to reflect an installation procedure that has changed significantly.
Firstly the regulator assembly...
It looks straight-forward enough, with the coarse regulation valve and low pressure gauge on the left; the solenoid and CO2 outlet in the middle; and the fine regulation valve of the right.
Strangely (well I find it so), the markings on the coarse valve indicate ‘+’ clockwise and ‘-‘ anticlockwise, but the marking on the fine valve show the opposite:
Well, no matter, both close in a clockwise direction and open anticlockwise.
Before screwing onto the CO2 bottle, the instructions say to “Ensure that the coarse regulation valve E is fully unscrewed in an anti clockwise direction†– I assume this to mean, fully open. Also, “Ensure that the fine regulation valve D is fully tight in a clockwise direction†– I assume this to mean, fully closed. After attaching the CO2, the pressure gauge reads zero.
Can someone explain what the pressure gauge is actually measuring and why when fully open, it reads 0 bar/psi?
After plugging in the solenoid, the instructions state to “open up the main coarse valve E until the gauge reads 5 Bars†(this is for testing purposes not operation). Well, the coarse valve is already fully open but if I close it (turning clockwise), the pressure reading rises until it reaches 4.8 bar when fully closed. Note that it never reaches 5! If I open it again, the pressure reading reduces slightly to 4.0 when fully open but never back to 0. Why is this? This may be something to do with how these items work (I am a complete novice) and I have noticed that the pressure can be reduced to 0 by fully opening the fine valve when the coarse valve is itself open. However, the instructions say “Turn the pressure back down to zero by using the coarse regulation valve†but it won’t reduce to 0 using this valve only by releasing the gas using the fine valve!
Anyway, I can achieve the operating pressure by seemingly closing the coarse valve until the gauge reads 1 bar. I can then open the fine valve (anti-clockwise) to release the CO2 through the needle valve.
This brings me to the next problem, the bubble counter.
The instructions say (possibly referring to the Standard Model and the different bubble counter/diffuser supplied with it) “The disk diffuser supplied with the unit is designed to act both as a bubble counter and to diffuse the CO2 into the water which it does via a sintered disk in one endâ€. I assume that this is not true of the model with a pump (the one which I have)?
They go on to state “Fill the diffuser ¾ full with water from the aquariumâ€, “Place the diffuser near the bottom of the tank†(their emphasis), “Open up the fine regulation valve D until bubbles are observed entering the diffuserâ€. They do not say whether to place internally or externally but I’m assuming that with the Standard Model it should be placed internally. The instructions then go on to show a poor-quality diagram of the bubble counter placed externally near the top of the tank!
If I am using the pump, what is the correct placement for the bubble counter? Is it the correct way up in the photograph above (with the CO2 feeding in from below)? Should it still be filled with water – there is no obvious way to do so? In fact, what does the item pictured above actually do? (If it isn’t to be filled with water then how can any bubbles be counted and so how is it a bubble counter?)
Finally, the pump.
Again, I’m assuming that this is the correct placement, completely submerged with the CO2 line feeding in at the bottom and the power line attaching at the top? When I start it up it makes the most awful grinding/grating sound. It does release some large bubbles (mostly from the sides of the unit, not the nozzle) but it does this when the CO2 is supplied whether powered-on or not! Clearly something is wrong.
I know that this is a litany of questions about every single part of the injection system but really the whole thing has me extremely confused! I’d really appreciate any assistance.
Thanks.
-dan
The product in question is a D-D Complete CO2 Set:
Although this was supposedly a representative photo, the product is no longer supplied with two gauges (only a low pressure gauge) or this bubble-counter/diffuser. It is, however, supplied with a pump. It is referred to as the Turbo Plus Model (the Standard Model is now unavailable, apparently).
Unfortunately, the instructions provided have not been comprehensively updated and appear to reflect an installation procedure that has changed significantly.
Firstly the regulator assembly...
It looks straight-forward enough, with the coarse regulation valve and low pressure gauge on the left; the solenoid and CO2 outlet in the middle; and the fine regulation valve of the right.
Strangely (well I find it so), the markings on the coarse valve indicate ‘+’ clockwise and ‘-‘ anticlockwise, but the marking on the fine valve show the opposite:
Well, no matter, both close in a clockwise direction and open anticlockwise.
Before screwing onto the CO2 bottle, the instructions say to “Ensure that the coarse regulation valve E is fully unscrewed in an anti clockwise direction†– I assume this to mean, fully open. Also, “Ensure that the fine regulation valve D is fully tight in a clockwise direction†– I assume this to mean, fully closed. After attaching the CO2, the pressure gauge reads zero.
Can someone explain what the pressure gauge is actually measuring and why when fully open, it reads 0 bar/psi?
After plugging in the solenoid, the instructions state to “open up the main coarse valve E until the gauge reads 5 Bars†(this is for testing purposes not operation). Well, the coarse valve is already fully open but if I close it (turning clockwise), the pressure reading rises until it reaches 4.8 bar when fully closed. Note that it never reaches 5! If I open it again, the pressure reading reduces slightly to 4.0 when fully open but never back to 0. Why is this? This may be something to do with how these items work (I am a complete novice) and I have noticed that the pressure can be reduced to 0 by fully opening the fine valve when the coarse valve is itself open. However, the instructions say “Turn the pressure back down to zero by using the coarse regulation valve†but it won’t reduce to 0 using this valve only by releasing the gas using the fine valve!
Anyway, I can achieve the operating pressure by seemingly closing the coarse valve until the gauge reads 1 bar. I can then open the fine valve (anti-clockwise) to release the CO2 through the needle valve.
This brings me to the next problem, the bubble counter.
The instructions say (possibly referring to the Standard Model and the different bubble counter/diffuser supplied with it) “The disk diffuser supplied with the unit is designed to act both as a bubble counter and to diffuse the CO2 into the water which it does via a sintered disk in one endâ€. I assume that this is not true of the model with a pump (the one which I have)?
They go on to state “Fill the diffuser ¾ full with water from the aquariumâ€, “Place the diffuser near the bottom of the tank†(their emphasis), “Open up the fine regulation valve D until bubbles are observed entering the diffuserâ€. They do not say whether to place internally or externally but I’m assuming that with the Standard Model it should be placed internally. The instructions then go on to show a poor-quality diagram of the bubble counter placed externally near the top of the tank!
If I am using the pump, what is the correct placement for the bubble counter? Is it the correct way up in the photograph above (with the CO2 feeding in from below)? Should it still be filled with water – there is no obvious way to do so? In fact, what does the item pictured above actually do? (If it isn’t to be filled with water then how can any bubbles be counted and so how is it a bubble counter?)
Finally, the pump.
Again, I’m assuming that this is the correct placement, completely submerged with the CO2 line feeding in at the bottom and the power line attaching at the top? When I start it up it makes the most awful grinding/grating sound. It does release some large bubbles (mostly from the sides of the unit, not the nozzle) but it does this when the CO2 is supplied whether powered-on or not! Clearly something is wrong.
I know that this is a litany of questions about every single part of the injection system but really the whole thing has me extremely confused! I’d really appreciate any assistance.
Thanks.
-dan