Building an Alanle style dual stage CO2 regulator

[X-37B]

Bringing this back up. I, like others, are ready to get rid of the carbondoser. Looking for a dual stage but it’s like paralysis by analysis looking at all the options.

Here is a nice 2 stage. Good price.

Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Water Dog]

Here is a nice 2 stage. Good price.

Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I like the fact that it’s stainless and has a good solenoid, though the metering valve is stated as a medium to high flow valve. Not good for our applications. It’s fairly cheap though at $200 so you could buy it and replace the metering valve for a low flow valve for around $125 give or take.

*Edit - Scratch that, on second look, I wouldn’t recommend that regulator at all. Its working pressure is way too high. That will make adjusting the working pressure waaaay too tedious.

 

[Water Dog]

When looking for a regulator to build upon, you have a few choices in material, stainless steel, nickel plated brass or brass. Stainless steel is preferred, though quite expensive, if you’re going to keep the regulator beneath the cabinet along with the sump, as the humid salty environment can really tarnish brass as anyone with a CarbonDoser knows. Polishing with “Brasso” polish will go a long way toward keeping brass nice and shiny. Nickel plated brass has better protection but will tarnish over time as well.

Also, I prefer regulators that have the low pressure gauge (working pressure) reading around 0-25, 0-30 or 0-60 psi, since for calcium reactors, we’ll rarely go beyond 20 psi.

When looking on eBay, search for terms such as Airgas y12, Air Products e12, Matheson 3813, Victor SGT, Scott Specialty Gasses 51-15b or 51-15c, Concoa dual stage or Pro Star dual stage.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Here is a nice 2 stage. Good price.

Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Tescom 2 Stage CO2 Regulator swagelok planted calcium reactor CGA320 Stainless at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

thanks. I’ll take a
look.

I like the fact that it’s stainless and has a good solenoid, though the metering valve is stated as a medium to high flow valve. Not good for our applications. It’s fairly cheap though at $200 so you could buy it and replace the metering valve for a low flow valve for around $125 give or take.

I prefer to buy once, cry once. Also saving the down time to upgrade.

When looking for a regulator to build upon, you have a few choices in material, stainless steel, nickel plated brass or brass. Stainless steel is preferred, though quite expensive, if you’re going to keep the regulator beneath the cabinet along with the sump, as the humid salty environment can really tarnish brass as anyone with a CarbonDoser knows. Polishing with “Brasso” polish will go a long way toward keeping brass nice and shiny. Nickel plated brass has better protection but will tarnish over time as well.

Also, I prefer regulators that have the low pressure gauge (working pressure) reading around 0-25, 0-30 or 0-60 psi, since for calcium reactors, we’ll rarely go beyond 20 psi.

When looking on eBay, search for terms such as Airgas y12, Air Products e12, Matheson 3813, Victor SGT, Scott Specialty Gasses 51-15b or 51-15c, Concoa dual stage or Pro Star dual stage.

Thanks. lots of options there. Probably go with a stainless for longevity. I need to do some further research on the topic it appears.

 

[Water Dog]

See my edited post above. That regulator in the link is no bueno IMO.

 

[TX_Punisher]

How about this beast? I’d prefer not to have 2 bubble counter so I’m assuming I could remove and block it?

Dual stage regulator Custom co2 system, industrial grade parts Matheson/Prostar | eBay

Co2 hose, co2 cylinder/tank and diffuserare not included. Three major components of this co2 system the pressure adjust handle is at close position(all the waycounter clockwise) while charging the system with pressurized co2.

www.ebay.com

 

[Afm32607]

you’d have to remove it and replace it with a connector for your co2 hose.

 

[Water Dog]

How about this beast? I’d prefer not to have 2 bubble counter so I’m assuming I could remove and block it?

Dual stage regulator Custom co2 system, industrial grade parts Matheson/Prostar | eBay

Co2 hose, co2 cylinder/tank and diffuserare not included. Three major components of this co2 system the pressure adjust handle is at close position(all the waycounter clockwise) while charging the system with pressurized co2.

www.ebay.com

Better, but again, see my recommendation about what the low pressure gauge reading I prefer. Also, it’s fairly expensive for a nickel plated brass build and also has a medium flow metering valve. I prefer a low flow metering valve.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Better, but again, see my recommendation about what the low pressure gauge reading I prefer. Also, it’s fairly expensive for a nickel plated brass build and also has a medium flow metering valve. I prefer a low flow metering valve.

good eye. 0-200psi no bueno.

 

[Water Dog]

0-200 psi is the most that would be functional with a CaRx application. Though again, in my builds, I prefer up to 0-60psi.

 

[bettatail]

The prostar is my build....
The regulator is 100 psi max output, solenoid is 105 rated MOPD, good enough to contain the max output pressure.
Swagelok M series metering valve needs calibration adjustment on bubble per second flow range, it is not as good as swagelok S series metering valve but the M series with large vernier handle and after proper calibration, it can handle the bubble per second flow rate.
I think I mention this ..

BTW, clean the brass with ketchup, a small pouch from any chain fast food is good for a brass regulator, smear on surface for 5 minutes and clean with dish scrub, just make sure don't get the ketchup into any ports of the brass regulator, and wash clean the ketchup after cleaning is done.

 

[Reefahholic]

Why do you prefer this style regulator over a carbon doser? I'm sure they last longer, but are their other major benefits?

 

[bettatail]

Why do you prefer this style regulator over a carbon doser? I'm sure they last longer, but are their other major benefits?

I think the main reason is you can build your own high end stainless steel double stage co2 system with all industrial grade parts.



If anyone wants to build, can try this one(actually two regulators), a Scott Specialty(or matheson 3800) 316 stainless steel double stage regulator, old model but in good condition, hidden in ebay because of wrong title, I think this seller will accept offer as low as half of the listing price, for about $50-$60, it should be the cheapest good condition stainless steel regulator that I could find at the moment.

Scott Oil Gauge | eBay

<p>Scott Oil Gauge. It is in good condition. Selling as is. No returns will be accepted.</p>

www.ebay.com

I have a batch of same regulators but new old stock, and built several sets of co2 systems a while ago, all working good without problem, so recommend it.

 

[Michael Gray]

I actually got mine from alan in like January. I love mine

 

[bettatail]

I actually got mine from alan in like January. I love mine

it is a nice Victor SGT500 regulator, and parker HR model 0 high precision metering cartridge valve.

You can put a Turn Counter vernier handle on the Parker metering valve, look even better.

 

[KStatefan]

I need to get my tank going so I can justify building a regulator

 

[Water Dog]

Why do you prefer this style regulator over a carbon doser? I'm sure they last longer, but are their other major benefits?

See my post #23 on page 2 of this thread HERE.

 

[Reefahholic]

I think the main reason is you can build your own high end stainless steel double stage co2 system with all industrial grade parts.

That is appealing. Mine sits outside the stand, so I’m not sure it would benefit me all that much. Are there options to use titanium?

 

[Reefahholic]

it is a nice Victor SGT500 regulator, and parker HR model 0 high precision metering cartridge valve.

You can put a Turn Counter vernier handle on the Parker metering valve, look even better.

Have you ran a carbon doser? If so, how does it tune compared to the carbon doser? I find the carbon doser to be super easy and pretty darn precise. The only thing I don’t like about the carbon doser’s is that once you get down to 1-B per sec they get a little squirrelly. The other thing I don’t like (haven’t experienced this yet) is that they probably won’t last longer than about 3-4 years. They just kinda have that feel. Other than that, I don’t think there’s much that could move me away from one unless there is something that will tune like a dream and out perform the carbon doser. I love turning a knob to 3-B per sec and getting exactly that. I am always open to anything and new ideas.

 

[Water Dog]

Get a quality low flow metering valve and you can adjust down to a bubble every 15 seconds if you really wanted to. These DIY regulators’ useful life is not measured in years but in generations. These regulators are built with precision lab grade mechanical parts. You can pass these down to your kids if you wanted to as they will definitely outlast your own lifetime without question.