Help setting up my first pressurized CO2 system

is the needle valve open?

It was open when I set up the CO2 tank and then I twisted it until the low pressure gauge reached 10 PSI. The bubbles are coming out of the bubble counter...

Either the bubble counter like what you said or the co2 tubing from the bubble counter to your diffuser.

I should rephrase that... the bubble counter is working as it should. No soap bubbles are coming out. I turned it up to 20 PSI and still nothing. Should I completely take it apart and re-assemble?

if the bubble counter is workin then go systematicly piece by piece and find where its going. eather a hole in the line or from one of the connections. take off the difuser and see if its flowing all the way though. email orlando he will take care of his products

The diffuser was from ebay and was obviosely a cheap one because when I tried to disconnect the airline tubing it broke. Anyways, I found out that the air wasn't reaching the diffuser, but I guess the next step now is buy a new diffuser locally if I can find one tomorrow. Once I replace the diffuser, I'll begin by taking everything apart and putting it back together. I think the connection of airline tubing to bubble counter may be the problem, because I completely submerged my check valve in soapy water and no bubbles at all.

My guess is that you are not patient enough. It takes a minute or so to get enough pressure built up in the lines for the pressure to overcome the ceramic membrain.

Your working pressure is correct at 10-15 psi.

You obviously have bubbles, so I'd wait for a minute or two to see if the poressure overcomes your diffuser. If it doesn't and there is built up pressure in the line, your diffuser may be plugged/defective. If this is the case, soak it in bleach for 10 minutes. then rinse well...try again.

If it doesn't work after the bleach treatment, get your money back. I've heard of thsi happening to some of the cheapo diffuser.

do you have your check valve on in the right flow direction?

I let the CO2 system run for 2 hours with no bubbles, so I don't think that patience is the issue When I tried to remove the airline tubing from the diffuser, the diffuser cracked in half so yup, I am thinking the cheap diffuser was probably the problem. Yes the check valve is in the correct direction. I think I may buy another diffuser and see if that solves the problem.

Is, are, CO2 coming out without the diffuser?
Stick a piece of chop stick in the line and let the CO2 diffuse out of that until you can put a new solution in place.

Perhaps this video made by Orlando may help you. :thumbsup:

dantra said:

Perhaps this video made by Orlando may help you. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

he said he watched it already

and the verdict is?

I got a set up from GLA myself so speaking from experience there are three things that could have caused the problem. One obviously being the cheap diffuser. Two you absolutely have to tighten the regulator bolt with a wrench (made this mistake and it cost me about a tank and half of C02). Three make sure the little piece that you put the tubing through and screw on to the top of the bubble counter is on nice and tight. If you have those two things done then by default the diffuser was your problem. Hope this helps.

MissMTS said:

I think the connection of airline tubing to bubble counter may be the problem, because I completely submerged my check valve in soapy water and no bubbles at all.

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Sounds to me like you may have either a faulty check valve or it is installed backwards...

remove it and blow through it, if you can't blow through it in either direction the check valve is bad and needs to be replaced,

You should be able to blow through it in one direction only. That direction is the orientation you should install it in after the bubble counter. If you have a brass check valve it should have a little arrow on it that shows you which way the CO2 will flow.

If it is a brass check valve... good luck blowing through it. I can't on mine.

Make sure it goes in the direction of the arrow... Does co2 come out of the hose without the diffuser attached?

MissMTS said:

I completely submerged my check valve in soapy water and no bubbles at all.

Click to expand...

Which is why I think the problem is either with the check valve itself or the direction it was installed in...

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys Orlando was really nice, sent me a pm, and offered to walk me through it. After sitting emailing back and forth for an hour, we realized that the problem was very simply... The black washer that goes inside of the brass hat of the bubble counter had fallen out when I filled it and I didn't notice. I found it on the floor and put it back in and it started working instantly. What a nice guy Orlando is. I really appreciate him taking the time to help me out. Not a lot of companies would do that

My GLA setup should arrive any time now. I'm pretty excited about it! Orlando's pre-sales service was mainly what sold me.

Dave-H said:

My GLA setup should arrive any time now. I'm pretty excited about it! Orlando's pre-sales service was mainly what sold me.

Click to expand...

Yeah that's what sold me as well. Good luck with your new setup. Now that I fixed the problem, I am really enjoying mine