Pinch me!!

[lanman]

The outflow from my calcium reactor is a piece of airline tubing - and the flow rate is controlled by a 'pinch' clamp. Over the course of a day or a week, it slows to a slow drip, or speeds up to a drizzle. It is not a satisfactory way of controlling the flow from the reactor.

 

Can someone tell me a better way? What are you using??

 

Thanks,

bob

[zoozilla]

I've had luck with a John Guest Valve.

[Bendalat]

Bob,

 

You can buy this at Lowes/Homdepot

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~act...es~vendor~.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

The outflow from my calcium reactor is a piece of airline tubing - and the flow rate is controlled by a 'pinch' clamp. Over the course of a day or a week, it slows to a slow drip, or speeds up to a drizzle. It is not a satisfactory way of controlling the flow from the reactor.

 

Can someone tell me a better way? What are you using??

 

Thanks,

bob

[DaveS]

Not looking to hijack the thread but I have a similar problem. I don't use a pinch valve on airline tubing but have what I think is a small gate valve on the rigid stuff. I still get erratic flow.

 

One prob you may with the airline tubing is that since it's soft it may kink/pinch more after some time bit and cut off flow. Another problem that I think we both may have is that the pressure from the feed pump may vary. Therefore, even if the output restriction is consistent, the output will vary as the input pressure changes. I especially notice this problem when I restart my pump after it's shut down for a water change or something else. Not sure what causes that or why.

[Larry Grenier]

Bob,

 

You probably already know this but you'll probably have to use the semi-rigid tubing with the JG valve like whats used for an ice-maker rather than your airline tubing. Also available at Home Depot.

 

Is it just me or does the thought of pinching Bob leave a distasteful image in your mind?

Edited December 24, 2008 by Larry Grenier

[F&Fmgr]

i use the valves that bendalat linked to and they are great. I use them on top-off and calcium reactors.

 

Sean

[geofloors]

Control the input flow not the outflow.

 

 

George

Edited December 24, 2008 by geofloors

[lanman]

Bob,

 

You can buy this at Lowes/Homdepot

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~act...es~vendor~.html

 

Fortunately for the world... there exists a class of people that actually keep such things in boxes, waiting for their chance to be useful.

 

REEFERS RULE!!

 

I dug one out of my 1/4" plumbing box, installed it - and it works fine! I didn't realize it would even connect to 'squishable' 1/4" tubing.

 

Thanks!

bob

[lanman]

Control the input flow not the outflow.

 

 

George

 

EH???? That's exactly the opposite of what everyone told me when I was setting up the CA reactor. Explanation?

 

bob

[Almon]

Control the input flow not the outflow.

 

Although I don't have a calcium reactor, that's the way I would do it. It seems logical that what goes in is also what comes out. Attempting to control the output does not gaurantee that the input will be the same. But the output will always be the same as the input. Wont' it?

[flowerseller]

For my reactor,

I found that if I only controlled the input, the output created a siphon which lead to higher outflow and more air at the top of the reactor.

By contorlling, or having the ability to control both, I'm able to keep the reactor full of water all the time by slightly restricting the outflow.

I am essentially controlling the amount of flow from my reactor.

By doing so, my reactor remains some what "under pressure" althought that pressure is very low.

 

More than one way to take a bra off too, or was that more ways to skin the cat?

[zoozilla]

More than one way to take a bra off too, or was that more ways to skin the cat?

 

Now...Now...Chip. Let's stay focused

Edited December 24, 2008 by zoozilla

[Jon Lazar]

I control the output from my Korralin 1502 with these needle valves, and they work great. The Korralin reactors have two effluent outputs; hence the twin valves. The acrylic doo dad clips on the inside rim of my sump and holds everything in place.

 

 

 

I bought them from usplastics.com. Part# 22318 1/4" Barb x 1/4" Barb PVC Needle Valve, $8.08 each. The 1/4" ends are a little big so I had to rig an adapter to fit standard airline tubing.

[zoozilla]

I control the output from my Korralin 1502 with these needle valves, and they work great. The Korralin reactors have two effluent outputs; hence the twin valves. The acrylic doo dad clips on the inside rim of my sump and holds everything in place.

 

 

 

I bought them from usplastics.com. Part# 22318 1/4" Barb x 1/4" Barb PVC Needle Valve, $8.08 each. The 1/4" ends are a little big so I had to rig an adapter to fit standard airline tubing.

 

Very nice, Jon. Did you fab the acrylic clip?

[lanman]

I control the output from my Korralin 1502 with these needle valves, and they work great. The Korralin reactors have two effluent outputs; hence the twin valves. The acrylic doo dad clips on the inside rim of my sump and holds everything in place.

 

 

 

I bought them from usplastics.com. Part# 22318 1/4" Barb x 1/4" Barb PVC Needle Valve, $8.08 each. The 1/4" ends are a little big so I had to rig an adapter to fit standard airline tubing.

 

Okay... so some people just plain 'do things' better than other people...

 

bob

[Jon Lazar]

Very nice, Jon. Did you fab the acrylic clip?

 

Yes, thanks. I think the acrylic was about 3/16" thick. If I were to do it again, I would have put the vertical piece (where the valves are mounted) on the back of the clip. Right now the eflluent drips out the bottom of the valve and onto the clip, instead of dripping into the sump. Relocating the vertical piece would solve this problem. Instead, I added some short pieces of tubing to the bottom of the valve in order to clear the clip.

 

Jon