New CO2 Gauge - Wrong Instructions..

[125gJoe]

Any advice on how to activate a newly installed 'fixed pressure' regulator? Should the needle valve be open or closed when opening the main tank valve??

The gauge is an AquaMedic....

Thanks - in advance..

[Robert H]

Activate it? Just follow the directions. Attch the regulator. Unscrew the metal cap covering the needlevalve. Connect the tubing. Out of the box, the needle valve is often fully open, so to prevent a mad gush of C02, close the valve and then slowly turn it open. Ajust it to about one bubble over 2 or 3 seconds, wait a couple days before increasing it further to the desired flow rate. Measure you pH and KH to figure out the desired level. Check your pH the following day each time you increase the C02 flow to see how much your pH has gone down

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Robert H
Activate it? Just follow the directions......That's the prob... Wrong instructions.

I got it going..
Directions said it would be a fixed pressure of 1.5 bar (15psi), but it's 20 psi.
Right now we are trying to decide if the needle valve is cheaply made. I hear talk of quality needle valves that are easy to adjust. This needle valve seems better than the last one, so I will give it more time and hope for more stability. :confused:

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Robert H
Activate it? Just follow the directions....Unscrew the metal cap covering the needlevalve. ..... There's no metal cap covering the needle valve. It shows that in the directions... What I think happened is they put the wrong regulator in the box, or the wrong directions. I hope the flow rate settles down and can be controlled, or it's going back.. :confused:

[Robert H]

I dont know, some people I sell it to mistake the cap for the actual needle valve. Are you sure 1.5 bar equals 15 psi? I thought it was lower than that. If you got the wrong directions, then how can it say what the working pressure is?

There really isn't much to it...you just connect everything and open the needle valve. There really isn't much else to it than that. Its a great quality needle valve. It doesn't have any drift to it at all. I have had one running for over a year now and I have never had to ajust it.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Robert H
........ I have had one running for over a year now and I have never had to ajust it. Robert, thanks for responding!
That's exactly what I'm looking for -- No Drift.. --

I know what you mean about the 'cap' covering the valve, mine is just the knob (I unscrewed it..). Seems like there's more than one AquaMedic regulator on the market. Oh, and the gauges are ABS plastic, not chrome like shown in the directions. The regulated pressure on the gauge reads from 0 to 80psi, not 0 to 6bar as shown on the box. I'll get a pic posted.. Maybe the gauges are AquaMedic and not the regulator itself..?

[Robert H]

I don't know, sounds pretty weird to me. I have been a Aqua medic dealer for two years now and have never seen a model change. The ones I have are chrome plated and its always had a fixed working pressure. I have a new order coming in next week, so I will be very interested to take a look at it and see if its plastic or chrome....but I am willing to bet it hasn't changed. Sounds like you are being messed with to me, but I could be wrong! Aqua medic bought out Aqualine over a year ago and thats the only time any of their products changed to my knowledge.