I need co2 help BIGTIME. Oh god what did I do wrong?

[KTern]

You should post some pic for these guys to help you out. Make sure your solenoid is unplug. You dont want to get a nice shock.

[Darkblade48]

Originally Posted by HybridHerp

I just unhooked everything and took the regulator off of y tank, because I took the solinoide off and felt tht it had mineral oil on it......
Then I left it alone and when I looked at it, there was a puddle of mineral oil and water on the floor, slowly dripping out where the solinoide plugs in......

Where the solenoid plugs into what? Are you talking about the fittings, or are you talking about the electrical cord?

It sounds like there may be mineral oil and/or water in the solenoid itself (due to a faulty check valve). If water/mineral oil got into the solenoid, it might be fried.

Originally Posted by HybridHerp

also, my needle valves are loose I think

Which connection is loose?

Originally Posted by KTern

You should post some pic for these guys to help you out. Make sure your solenoid is unplug. You dont want to get a nice shock.

+1. We need more information/better descriptions/pictures to help you.

When you say parts are leaking, there are multiple parts that it can leak from.

When you say the needle valve is "loose", what exactly do you mean? The adjustment knob is loose? The connection/fittings to the solenoid/bubble counter are loose? What does your setup look like?

So many unknowns -- we are trying to help as best we can, but without more information, we are just throwing out random possibilities.

[oldpunk78]

As Anthony noted, some detailed pics are going to be one of the best ways we can help you. When you say things are loose and dripping from the regulator, something has happened that's probably not even your fault.

[HybridHerp]

Alright, sorry to take so long since I started this to get pics in here. I'll upload some by tonight for sure.

However, for now, I have the regulator off of the tank and sitting on a table to the side. I believe someone is going to give me a quick fix for this for the time being, since I go to school in less than a week, but I still have this regulator that I'm not sure about.

I'd love to see if I could find someone that I could bring this too and have them test things out and play around with it and whatnot, but in the meantime I'll try and get detailed pics and see what's going on with this.

However, I don't really want to put this back on my cylinder for the moment if I can help it, because last time I did the back of the regulator started having ice form and all that....also, if I do get something on my cylinder for now that works for me, I'm not going to take it off right away or anything.

I'll get pics up on here later tonight though, and I'll try and give any details that I can to the best of my ability.

[HybridHerp]

Little thing....I found a hydroponics place near me that deals with this sorta thing....so I'm going to bring the regulator and all to them as well to see what's up with it all.

[TwoTacoCombo]

Which side of the regulator are you considering the "back"? The side behind the knob, or where it attaches to the tank? If you've got water/oil leaking on the floor, check the bubble counter and hoses for cracks or loose attachments. There's really no conceivable way that your solenoid can have a large enough leak in it to pass oil without being completely obvious when the gas is turned on. Chances are it's just the lowest point in the system and the fluid is just working it's way there by gravity? Also, was this "freshly filled" 20# tank still cold when you hooked it up? Those things are frigid after a fill, and can take quite a while to warm to room temperature. This would raise the pressure significantly from the time it's filled to the point it reaches a balance...

[HybridHerp]

Originally Posted by TwoTacoCombo

Which side of the regulator are you considering the "back"? The side behind the knob, or where it attaches to the tank? If you've got water/oil leaking on the floor, check the bubble counter and hoses for cracks or loose attachments. There's really no conceivable way that your solenoid can have a large enough leak in it to pass oil without being completely obvious when the gas is turned on. Chances are it's just the lowest point in the system and the fluid is just working it's way there by gravity? Also, was this "freshly filled" 20# tank still cold when you hooked it up? Those things are frigid after a fill, and can take quite a while to warm to room temperature. This would raise the pressure significantly from the time it's filled to the point it reaches a balance...

I'm calling the back the opposite of the knob. Also, it is the lowest point, so its probably me failing with check valves.

Also, the tank had been filled and then sat for a few days so that it wasn't super cold anymore when I did all this.

[HybridHerp]

So, sort of update on my situation of sorts.....
I brought my regulator to this hydroponics shop in my area (very useful to know that's there) and the guy tested it for me and told me that the seals inside seemed to have gone bad, among other things.....

The way he told me it was is that the regulator was busted beyond worthwhile repair and that it had more issues going on than where even worth mention (or that I really could grasp the concept of). What is it that could have caused the seals to have gone bad on the inside though? Could the water/mineral oil that was getting past the check valves originally have done the regulator in......this was only happening for a day however, and this regulator was only hooked up to everything for a day, not sure how much damage could have been done in terms of that within my having started using this regulator...

However, for the time being I have a replacement regulator that is working so far so good (I have to tighten the connection on one of the needle valves though...still playing around with it but the regulator itself is fine and not leaking anything)

I'll still get pics up of the old regulator, but there isn't all that much to really see I guess. All I know is that, its busted, and I trust the guy from the hydroponics place (it just was leaking air everywhere, the regulator itself)

[Bettatail]

broken diaphragm, the reg is dead.