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Milwaukee MA957 Problem

1293 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  jgb77, 
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I just installed my MA957 and the left gauge reads a constant 700psi and the right gauge stays at about 130psi regardless of which way I turn the black regulator gauge.

I pulled the 957 off the cylinder and the right gauge stayed at 130psi until i turned the knob a little and then a puff of air shot out and the pressure went back down to 0psi on the right cylinder.

Right now I"m running the regulator anyway since I can monitor the bubbles via the needle valve but i barely crack open the needle valve and the bubles are going pretty quickly already.

Anybody have any idea what's going on?
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Ok I guess I don't understand how this thing works...

I can't seem to use the needle valve to adjust the flow very well at all. If i barely crack open the needle valve the bubbles start coming out like crazy.

So I guess I'm supposed to adjust the black knob, but as I turn the knob clockwise the right gauge output pressure goes UP? Isn't turning the knob clockwise supposed to close it?

And how far am I able to turn the black knob counter clockwise? It starts getting really loose and then eventually feels like its coming right off
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jgb77
Hi, try doing the following: turn the black knob counter-clockwise until it is very loose, like about ready to fall off loose.The right gauge should read zero at this time. Then slowly turn the knob clockwise until you get a reading of about 20 psi on the right side gauge. This should be good, then use the needle valve for more of a fine tuning of the bubble rate. Here is a link with info on the regulator you have http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-tank-faq/18272-milwaukee-ma-957-co2-regulator-instuctions.html
If you still have problems after this, let us know and someone should be able to help you further. Hope this helps,
John
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danepatrick
IMO this thing is a POS! mine has given me nothing but problems since day one and i'm sick of it. i just bought a JBJ regulator! sorry if this offends anyone, but i would never the milwaukee regulator.
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jgb77 said:
Hi, try doing the following: turn the black knob counter-clockwise until it is very loose, like about ready to fall off loose.The right gauge should read zero at this time. Then slowly turn the knob clockwise until you get a reading of about 20 psi on the right side gauge. This should be good, then use the needle valve for more of a fine tuning of the bubble rate. Here is a link with info on the regulator you have http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-tank-faq/18272-milwaukee-ma-957-co2-regulator-instuctions.html
If you still have problems after this, let us know and someone should be able to help you further. Hope this helps,
John
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've tried that I think...

Turned it all the way CCW until it was about to fall off, with solenoid plugged in, needle valve all the way closed.

Turned it CW until ~20psi, then once I crack open the needle valve even a tiny bit the bubbles start going crazy.

A half turn of the needle valve looks like maybe 20 bubbles a second. To get down to what I need ~0.5-1 bubbles/second I can only barely barely open the needle valve.

Is that right? Seems like a waste of the 4-5 full turns the needle valve is capable of.
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jgb77
051009 said:
Yeah, I've tried that I think...

Turned it all the way CCW until it was about to fall off, with solenoid plugged in, needle valve all the way closed.

Turned it CW until ~20psi, then once I crack open the needle valve even a tiny bit the bubbles start going crazy.

A half turn of the needle valve looks like maybe 20 bubbles a second. To get down to what I need ~0.5-1 bubbles/second I can only barely barely open the needle valve.

Is that right? Seems like a waste of the 4-5 full turns the needle valve is capable of.
Click to expand...
I don't really think it matters how much the needle valve is open, as long as you get the desired bubble rate. I have mine open very slightly also and it works fine like that.
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Alright then, I guess I had it.

I jsut recall reading that needle valves are very precise and this doesn't seem so precise to me lol.

A tiny change in the needle valve position changes the bubble flow rate a lot, I was just expecting the opposite.

Thanks for your help!
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jgb77
051009 said:
Alright then, I guess I had it.

I jsut recall reading that needle valves are very precise and this doesn't seem so precise to me lol.

A tiny change in the needle valve position changes the bubble flow rate a lot, I was just expecting the opposite.

Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
From what I've experienced and read about others experiences with these regulators, the needle valves are not very precise at all. I mean mine works but it's no Clippard needle valve that's for sure.
John
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