# Milwaukee CO2 reg "sticking"



## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

I have a CO2 reg. hooked up to a timer that coordinates it w/ my lights. The problem is, it doesN't come on wit the lights. I have to adjust the valves to get it going again almost all of the time. What gives?


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

What Ph do you have it set at?


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## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

I don't have a pH controller. I have fiddled w/ the flow until I had a flow of ~3 bubbles/ second, which got my Co2 levels to the approximate level it needed. I estimated this by looking at the kh/ CO2/ pH chart. So it isn't an issue of the pH controller limiting flow.


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

Im not sure why its sticking with the timer being used. No matter what you set it at it never kicks on? I know when I had mine on a timer before I switched to the DA I had to bottom it out and every morning kick it up a bit to get it to work right for the day.
It could be something with the power being cut that is resetting the regulator?


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## farrenator (Dec 21, 2008)

From your post it looks like the solenoid is getting power but the gas isn't flowing. Have you confirmed this?

Lets make the assumption that the solenoid is getting power:
Do you have the gas going through a check valve? Have you checked to see if it is the check valve diaphram that is getting stuck? A replacement is only a few dollars at the pet store so it may be an easy fix.


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

To me it sounds like your needle valve is getting clogged. What do you have your BC filled with?


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## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

BC has distilled H2O & how can I tell if check valve is stuck? I am able to get started after it is stuck. Is that helpful?


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## jeremy1 (May 6, 2007)

Those regulators take a lot of slow adjusting on the regulator knob to get it dialed in so it won't stick. The problem I had was that I was pumping against resistance (glass ceramic diffuser) and I would get the bubble rate to where I needed it and then after a hour or two the rate would decline or not have any flow at all. I think these instructions were not intended to inject the gas against any resistance. You will need to increase the working pressure to about 20psi to overcome the resistance of the diffuser if you are using one. This will require you to close the needle valve some and tighten down on the black regulator knob.


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## farrenator (Dec 21, 2008)

If it is the check valve I am not sure how to tell if it is stuck. However, they are so cheap that I would just remove the old one and replace with a new one to see if that fixes the problem. It might cost you $3-4. This is not the most scientific approach but for $4 who cares? Follow the KISS principle and try the simple stuff first. Although the above post about the regulator sounds more plausible then my theory.


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## Wildman (May 6, 2008)

Still fussing with it. I thought I had it dialed in--I had continued to dial up the main valve and down on the needle valve until I was getting 2-4 bubbles/ minute. Then, after about 4 days, clogged again. I think I will attempt to get a new check valve and see if this helps. 

Thanks for all the help, if anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear it.


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

I'm on board with Jeremy1- I always used a pH regulated CO2 system but I noticed that before I had it running correctly, I had to increase the pressure a lot to go against the slow absorption of water the C2 diffuser would have.

Therefore, maybe cutting the power over night is causing the diffuser to build up water again, creating more resistance for the CO2 when it comes back on.


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## cath0de (Feb 23, 2011)

I've had the same problem for a while now too. Mine might be worse actually because I use a reactor under the tank that has the whole weight of the tank water pushing down on it. I'm afraid the answer is not another check valve. It's a better check valve. I hate it when people recommend to me to just spend more money and get a 'good' whatever. I'm sorry to be that person but a $15 brass check valve solved all my problems even with a $5 needle valve and a solenoid stolen from my truck. It seems to me that as soon as water enters a plastic check valve it will never seal again.


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

Interesting- while I wouldn't say I have a problem any more, I've definitely encountered the thought that my check valve might suck since it got wet once. And there's a bit of water in the line above the bubble counter. Hmmmm....


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