Rhinox Brass Check Valve Question

[cappuccino91]

Does anybody find that this particular check valve has too much resistance? I feel like I have to change my bps rate to a much higher number to actually see any bubbles coming out of my diffuser, or to see my drop checker change color. I'm probably at 7-10bps right now in a 29 gallon and I'm still not seeing the same number of bubbles coming out of my diffuser as I might see on youtube videos where they're at 1-3 bps. Some plants are pearling a bit, but my drop checker barely gets a slight green tinge to it by the end of the day; still very very much blue.

Is it the check valve? My bubble counter is part of the regulator so I can't switch the order around unless I get another bubble counter.

Does it really matter? Should I just adjust the bps to whatever it needs to be to turn the drop checker green? Get a different check valve? Replace the drop checker solution (only ~2 weeks old)? Fish aren't complaining or showing signs of too much co2. Thanks!

Edit: do I even need the check valve? This is the regulator I have:

 

[TexasGuppy]

Do the bubbles come out in spurts or is a constant flow? I've read that some check valves are too strong, but they tend to build up pressure, then release.. then repeat.
It also depends on how small your diffuser is creating bubbles, depth, and if it's under an exhaust for water inlet. I use a reactor that dissolves almost all co2. 3bps gets my 54g tank to around 30ppm CO2.

 

[Baba]

I wouldn't skip the check valve. It protects your regulator from water in case it gets back siphoned.
I dropped the bubble counter and installed a good needle valve and adjusted slowly! until the drop checker gave me a light green color.

 

[aniroc]

I check valve should allow one way flow without any resistance. If (by any chance) it got stuck, you can dip it in vinegar to try to dissolve any scale residue. Verify it by blowing air.
What diffuser are you using? Some diffusers might put some resistance more than others.

 

[Baba]

I check valve should allow one way flow without any resistance. If (by any chance) it got stuck, you can dip it in vinegar to try to dissolve any scale residue. Verify it by blowing air.
What diffuser are you using? Some diffusers might put some resistance more than others.

I assume his check valve has a spring, so you need some pressure to overcome this resistance.

 

[TexasGuppy]

Some check valves require very high pressure to open... There are lots of posts about people replacing various brass check valves for this reason.

 

[aniroc]

I assume his check valve has a spring, so you need some pressure to overcome this resistance.

Oh. I see...I have a glass check valve. Inside it has a "plug" that fits one end but not the other.
If Rhinox has a spring, can someone overcome the resistance by increasing the working pressure?

 

[cappuccino91]

Do the bubbles come out in spurts or is a constant flow? I've read that some check valves are too strong, but they tend to build up pressure, then release.. then repeat.
It also depends on how small your diffuser is creating bubbles, depth, and if it's under an exhaust for water inlet. I use a reactor that dissolves almost all co2. 3bps gets my 54g tank to around 30ppm CO2.

They come out in a constant flow. Those are some other good points to consider! I'll look into a reactor, or perhaps changing the placement in the tank.

I wouldn't skip the check valve. It protects your regulator from water in case it gets back siphoned.
I dropped the bubble counter and installed a good needle valve and adjusted slowly! until the drop checker gave me a light green color.

Thanks! Yeah I wouldn't mean taking out a check valve entirely -- just that when I was looking more thoroughly into the regulator I have, it turns out it has a built in check valve! So I wonder if that might be enough.

I check valve should allow one way flow without any resistance. If (by any chance) it got stuck, you can dip it in vinegar to try to dissolve any scale residue. Verify it by blowing air.
What diffuser are you using? Some diffusers might put some resistance more than others.

I don't think it has any residue 'cause it's brand new, but I'll try blowing through it when I get home. I didn't think about the diffuser -- I forget the name of it, but it's a long rectangular one rather than one of the small round ones.

Some check valves require very high pressure to open... There are lots of posts about people replacing various brass check valves for this reason.

Good to know! I'll look more for those other posts!

Thanks for the ideas, everyone. I'll check on some of these things when I get home.

 

[Baba]

Oh. I see...I have a glass check valve. Inside it has a "plug" that fits one end but not the other.
If Rhinox has a spring, can someone overcome the resistance by increasing the working pressure?

Yes, there is a minimum opening pressure required on most CV. Once this is reached it will open.

 

[aniroc]

In this case, OP should try to tighten the regulator knob (clock wise) to increase working pressure to about 20-30 psi.

 

[cappuccino91]

In this case, OP should try to tighten the regulator knob (clock wise) to increase working pressure to about 20-30 psi.

Thanks for the idea! I might be misunderstanding how my regulator works, but it only has one knob from what I can tell. The "high pressure gauge" says ~50 (I think this is the amount left in the container), the "low pressure gauge" says ~1,000 (I think this is the working pressure?), and I'm not sure there's a way to adjust it? The only knob I have controls how much goes goes into the bubble counter.

 

[Baba]

Thanks for the idea! I might be misunderstanding how my regulator works, but it only has one knob from what I can tell. The "high pressure gauge" says ~50 (I think this is the amount left in the container), the "low pressure gauge" says ~1,000 (I think this is the working pressure?), and I'm not sure there's a way to adjust it? The only knob I have controls how much goes goes into the bubble counter.

The description on Amazon says it has a build in needle valve. I assume that's the one you control your bubble count with. More bubbles, more pressure in the line.

 

[cappuccino91]

The description on Amazon says it has a build in needle valve. I assume that's the one you control your bubble count with. More bubbles, more pressure in the line.

Ah, I see I see. Yep, that's the one I've been using to get more bubbles. It just doesn't measure the pressure for me to read -- the dials never change from ~50 and ~1000 (although I'm sure over months they will).

I think I'm gonna try it with and without the brass check valve just to see what happens since there's already a built in check valve. So I guess I technically have two check valves, I just didn't realize the built-in one before.

 

[aniroc]

The regulator picture is wrong: the high pressure gauge measure the pressure inside the CO2 cylinder. It should read 800-1000 psi and stays the same as long as there is CO2 (in a liquid form) inside the cylinder. When that gauge starts to drop, it means less liquid CO2 and more gas CO2 in the cylinder. I usually refill my cylinder when it gets to 500 psi (it takes weeks) since it is a single stage and I experienced "dump" more than once.
The low pressure gauge (working pressure) is adjustable by tightening the regulator knob. I keep it at around 40 psi. Anything less and my diffuser does not produce any bubbles.

 

[cappuccino91]

The regulator picture is wrong: the high pressure gauge measure the pressure inside the CO2 cylinder. It should read 800-1000 psi and stays the same as long as there is CO2 (in a liquid form) inside the cylinder. When that gauge starts to drop, it means less liquid CO2 and more gas CO2 in the cylinder. I usually refill my cylinder when it gets to 500 psi (it takes weeks) since it is a single stage and I experienced "dump" more than once.
The low pressure gauge (working pressure) is adjustable by tightening the regulator knob. I keep it at around 40 psi. Anything less and my diffuser does not produce any bubbles.

Ohh, good to know! I'll look into it and make sure I learn more about it.

Just got home, and I think the brass check valve was the issue. I swapped it out for a plastic one just as a quick test and the diffuser looks totally different. 1-2 bps with the plastic check valve produces the same amount of diffuser bubbles as the ~7-10 bps with the brass check valve. I think I'll just swap it out for the plastic one permanently (even if there's already one built into the regulator, I guess it makes me feel more secure to have an extra). I tried the brass one on my air pump and it couldn't produce enough pressure to get anything out at all! I think I may just get rid of the brass one.

In any case, thanks for the info everyone! I learned a lot and now I know some other things I should learn more about.

 

[TexasGuppy]

Check for leaks. Those bubbles had to go somewhere.