External Reactor

[Themuleous]

I am probably going to try and make an external co2 reactor, like the aquamedic one. I'm pretty sure I can get all the equipment, but the air line connector seems a bit more tricky, anyone know where I can get one or what I can use to serve this function? I don't seem to have any spare nutrafin ones.

Or do you think a non-return valve might serve this function ok? Just think it might not be very secure sticking out of the reactor?

Also, do you think superglue would be OK, or do I need silicone or epoxy resin to seal it all? Any safety considerations?

Thanks

Sam

PS - might do a 'how to' guide if I can get all the stuff, seems daft to pay for these!

 

[BHornsey]

Hi.

I made mine from 1½" waste pipe. At the top I put a T piece, feeding the water in from the side.
At the top of the T piece I put an access cap. I drilled a hole in this to accept a John Guest 3/8" bulkhead fitting (I got this from RO-Man) and fed 3/8" tube down into the reactor which accepted a wooden air block. This gives a nice fine stream of bubbles. I then popped a 3/8 - 1/4" reducer and pushed my CO2 line over the short piece of 1/4" pipe.

I also put some lava rock pieces and a bottle brush to further break up the CO2 bubbles

Brian

 

[voo]

I think you'll find that glue / silicon / epoxy resin will all eventually start to come unstuck and leak when you are using CO2, it does when making diy CO2. Probably be best to get the bulkhead fittings. How are you planning to connect the pipe from the filter?

These do bulkhead fittings:
http/www.airlines-pneumatics.co.uk/

 

[gsta13]

Is there not already a DIY guide to these on here?
cant find it although i did look

 

[Themuleous]

Cheers for that voo, had found those bulkheads on ebay, but that shop is much cheaper! Will give is ago, reckon I'll need some washers as well and some sort of bolt to go ont he end? Not sure what I'm going to attach the filter pipe with.

On the resin/silicone front, I do you think the CO2 affecting it could be as its in such high concentration in a yeast chamber? I'll only be bubbling the CO2 into the reactor so very much less?

gsta13 - there probably is. I have certainly seen ones for internal reactors but I want to make an inline one. There are links to instructions if you go via TheKrib, but these aren't as detailed as I'd like and are for American supply shops.

Sam

 

[Aeropars]

I wouldnt use anything on this project apart from plastic cement. That bonds plastic to plastic and plastic to pretty much any other surface.

 

[JamesC]

I wouldnt use anything on this project apart from plastic cement. That bonds plastic to plastic and plastic to pretty much any other surface.

I would have to agree with this 100%. Silicone, epoxy, super glue, etc are just not safe enough to use. They may work well in the short term but I wouldn't use them for a long term solution.

James

 

[voo]

I tried using plastic cement to connect an airline connector to a bottle top for my DIY CO2. It didn't bond the plastics at all, they didnt even start to show any signs of 'melting'. Maybe it was the wrong type of plastic?

 

[Aeropars]

Melting?! I'm not so sure that the cement would do anything like that.

 

[Themuleous]

Think I'll pop into a model shop sometime and see what they have to say about it. Ive had to put this on hold for the time being, but just in case anyone is interested, that site voo recommended has these adaptors that might do the trick or there are brass ones. Either way a washer/o-ring and bolt should make a tight enough fit. If I can find clear square section tubing that'll also remove the risk of small gaps from having to bolt something flat onto the curved surface of piping.

Sam