millwaukie regulator

[smellsfishy]

has anyone had problems with the seleniods mine keeps gettiing plugged or something. it will stop then i'll give it a tap and away it goes again for about 2 days then stops again. i tried varying preasure, toke it apart a cleaned it etc. etc.. i'm starting to think it's got a mind of it's own.
Any suggestions??

[BMW Rider]

I found that I can't get mine to hold a setting the way they reccomend adjusting it. It would do exactly what you are experiencing. Instead, I set the pressure at about 10 psi and then control the bubble count with the needle valve. It has woked fine this way for 7 months keeping a steady flow rate.

[chwkreefer]

has anyone had problems with the seleniods mine keeps gettiing plugged or something. it will stop then i'll give it a tap and away it goes again for about 2 days then stops again. i tried varying preasure, toke it apart a cleaned it etc. etc.. i'm starting to think it's got a mind of it's own.
Any suggestions??



I've gone through two solenoids so far from this company. Right now if the power goes out my solenoid won't close off my regulator. Let me know if you find a solution other than buying a new one. You are speaking about the solenoid and not the regulator? correct?

Bill

[Gools]

Yup I just recieved my 3rd Regulator from Milwaukee, this one is the first one where I actuall heard a click noise when I plugged the solinoid in. It's only been a week, but it's working perfect. If it's still under warranty, email them and they will send you a new solinoid.

[Ruth]

I had the same problem with one of mine and they replaced it. Just a PITA waiting for the new one to arrive.

[smellsfishy]

so i took mine apart yet again. i looks as though there is oxidization building up in the valve and seliniod, guess thats why they call them sel..i...niods they sell you anoying.............hahahhmmmm gee i need coffee or something.
Anyway the nearest i can figure is the water is working it's way back into or the gas is not clean. I am going to assume the gas is ok which means i am going to try not using the bubble counter on the valve. maybe put in a check valve as well. it was working fine until i ran out of co2 which may have been when the water seeped back in. it's all just a theory, i am alarmed at how many problems with these things i wonder if it is just Milwaukie product.

[smellsfishy]

i'm sure that the problem was water getting into the valve and seleniod. i cue tipped it out, put it back together with out the milwaukie bubble counter, then i built a new inline bubble counter out of acrylic and mounted it above the sump no chance of water now since my sump is elevated. i use a small pump to feed but for the most part the water is fed into the reactor by gravity 1/2" going into reactor on the floor and 1/4" return uses the weight of the water and the preasure of the gas to return to the sump, there just isn't enough head height force to get up to the counter.
Of course i could have just raised the CO2 tank up instead but that would be too easy.... besides who wants to look at a tank and use up valuable shelf space at the same time.
hope this helps.

[props]

I've had nothing but problems with the millwaukie. Even at 10PSI the bubble rate keeps changing. I've got it hooked up on a controller and the darn solenoid got stuck open after an outage 3months ago. When the power came back on the solenoid never worked after. Got myself one of these recently and loving it
http://www.jlaquatics.com/images/creactor/reg-nv-sol.jpg also hooked up a plastic check valve
http://www.plastomatic.com/cks-photo.jpg

[Delphinus]

Where can you get a check valve like that, Jesse?

[Delphinus]

I found that I can't get mine to hold a setting the way they reccomend adjusting it. It would do exactly what you are experiencing. Instead, I set the pressure at about 10 psi and then control the bubble count with the needle valve. It has woked fine this way for 7 months keeping a steady flow rate.

I'll basically second everything said here. Except that I set my psi to 18 even, I found I wasn't getting too consistent of a flowrate at 10. It could be the checkvalve I use though needs a higher psi. I got one from Wendell, it's some German, big name brandname but I can't remember the name offhand.

Even at 18 psi I find I don't have the steadiest of drip rates. I'll count bubbles in a 30 or 60 second period to try to get a decent estimate of the bubble rate, because in 10 seconds there can be a impressive variance in the rate. Blip.. blip................ blip blip blip ..... blip ..... blip ... blip, blip, blip, ............. blipblipblip! .......... etc.

All I've ever used is Milwaulkee so I just thought all regulators were like this. Now I'm thinking I want to try that other one that props showed.

[props]

Where can you get a check valve like that, Jesse?
bought a coupe of them few years back
i'm pretty sure they still carry them
http://www.plumbingsupply.com/

[props]

this one is the best i heard. still waiting for it on the mail
http://www.petstore.com/ps_ViewItem-SearchStr--action-view-idProduct-DE1111-idCategory-FICOCA-category-Dennerle_CO2_Check_Valve_Saltwater_Aquarium_Suppli es_CO2_Accessories-vendor-Dennerle.html

[Delphinus]

Oh! That's the one I couldn't remember the name of. I got mine from Wendell. I think he had to order it, but anyhow, yes I've got that one, seems to work fine.

What's weird is that unlike other air-line check valves, you can't blow into it and have the air pass. It must operate on some really high pressure or maybe the fact that the gas needs to be CO2 in order to pass. I could not blow into it and I tried as absolutely as hard as I could and got nothing. But put it on my CO2 line and my reactor pH went down, so somehow it's getting where it needs to be.

[Chin_Lee]

That bubble counter/needle valve combo definitely has design flaw. Remove it and replace it with a needle valve from JL's http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/details/creactor.php?product_ID=cr-pnval

then build a small bubble counter out of acrylic. quite easy to make or buy one retail.

no problem since for me.

[props]

hey chin want to make me a bubble counter??
ohh lookie my new needle valve
heres the actual setup i'm using
http://members.shaw.ca/jcaramat/8e_1.jpg

[Chin_Lee]

[quote=props]hey chin want to make me a bubble counter?? /quote]

Jesse
i could but why not try buying a barb x female to attach to the end of the old bubble counter?
Then run the tubing (with your fancy dandy check valve on this tubing) from new bubble counter, to the old bubble counter, open the defective needle valve all the way, and just use the bubble counter. IF this doesn't make sense, call me.
chin