Just Bought This Regulator .. Need Help

[jacko_oafc]

Hi,
I have just bought a regulator that was used on welding equipment.
I have attached it to a co2 fire extinguisher.
I am unsure what pressures to use to set it up for my 4ft community tank.
The first dial reads 0 - 300 bar ( how full the tank is ? )
The second one reads argon ( outer part of the dial ) 0-32 bar ..... inner dial co2 0-30 bar.

If the first dial is for the amount of co2 in the fire extinguisher what bar reading should it give if the fire extinguisher is full ? ( 2kg fire extinguisher ), its reading 60 bar at the moment.

Does the first dial tell me how full the fire extinguisher is ?
Also can someone tell me what to set the second dial to ? the pressure the co2 should output at ?
It has a needle valve i can adjust for the amount of bubble per min etc, what should i set this to for my 4ft tank ?

Also i take it the big black knob on the regulator should be screwed out so the co2 flows into it from the fire extinguisher ?

Sorry for all the questions this co2 stuff is all new to me.
Thank you for any replies.

PS.I have attached a picture of the regulator.View attachment 52401

 

[Wolfenrook]

The first dial is the one that tells you how much gas pressure there is in the tank, the second dial tells you the operating pressure (how far open you have the balck nob valve). I usually set the operating pressure to about 1-1.5 bar, opening it all the way can often lead to leaks and will reduce the accuracy of your needle valve.

As to bubbles per second, this varies from tank to tank. I would advise the purchase of a drop checker, and then start on 1 bubble per second and slowly increase this (takes drop checker 1 hour to register changes) until your drop checker is showing a nice green colour, not yellow and not blue, and this should be fine.

Ade

 

[aaronc]

The big black knob is to set the operating pressure, which should be around 1 bar.

The bar that says 60 bar is the pressure of the bottle. The bottle should be changed before it goes below 50.

Start with a bubble count of 1 bubbles a minute. I use 1bpm for my 100litre.

Get yourself a drop checker to monitor the CO2 as bubble count is inaccurate and very transient.

[URL="http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...roducts_id=1231"]http/www.aquaessentials.co.uk/index.php?...roducts_id=1231[/URL]

I would be tempted to get that regulator serviced - given the pressures involved

Hope this helps
Aaron

 

[jacko_oafc]

Thank you for your help chaps.
I have it set up now as you have told me to, black knob only turned in a bit.
On the second dial it says 0-6 bar right in the middle of the dial, so i have set it to 5 bar ( it goes up from 0 to 30 ) so i take it that is 1 bar is 5 on the dial or there about's.
I have it connected to a diffuser but when i adjust the needle valve all i see are lots of big bubbles coming out of the top of the diffuser, surly this cannot be right can it ?
The diffuser ( JBL ) is the long dark tube thing you can see underneath the regulator in the pic in this post.
The black tubing from the needle valve connects to the top of the JBL difuser is that right ? the nipple the tube connects to is at the top of the diffuser.
Sorry for all the question, i want to get this right.
Is there anyone who can help me via MSN Messenger ( my addy is [email protected] ).
Regards Jacko.

 

[Wolfenrook]

No, 1 bar is 1 on the guage, this is why you are getting a lot of wasted gas. Oh and you need to put a check valve inline else risk backflow.

Ade

 

[jacko_oafc]

Ade,
Thanx for that.
I do not have 1 bar on the co2 guage.
Its 5,10,15,20,25,30 bar.
Its not easy to set it to 1bar.
When i set it to as near as 1 bar i can using the black knob , then when i open the needle valve the reading jumps up to 5bar or so.
Have you got MSN Messenger so i can chat to you about this ?
Regards Wayne.

PS. I have this JBL diffuser, does it go in the tank as shown here or do i turn it upside down ( nipple to the bottom ) ?

 

[jacko_oafc]

Can someone please tell me if i install the jbl diffuser like in the post above or like this,

 

[Wolfenrook]

If you can't set the regulator to 1 bar then I would say it's not really suitable for the use you wish to put it to, it's clearly designed to work at much higher operating pressures than we use in the aquarium. It also sounds faulty, as the operating pressure should at most drop slightly when you open the needle valve, not go up. Either that or you are actually closing the needle valve when you think you are opening it.

As to the JBL Vario, never used one, they're too big and ugly. I have a glass diffuser on my kit that I have under my filter intake, cost me 99p for 2 from Hong Kong.

Sorry, I don't give out my MSN addie. I have done so in the past and ended up having to block people, so these days I just don't use it.

Ade

 

[jacko_oafc]

Ok thanx for your help.
Another member has helped me via PM.
I will try the diffuser for a couple of weeks and see how i get on.
I forgot to say the gauge goes down when i open the needle valve, i got mixed up with that sorry.