Needle wheel on Calcium reactor

[John D'Amico]

I am trying to dial in a drop per second or even close to it. I get it set and when I go back a few hours later almost no drip. I have a needle wheel on the reactor and a red sea valve on the end. One open, one to set, setting both... No matter what I try it won't stay steady. I just received a 4 channel dosing pump for kalk. Any way to go through that with the reactor?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't know anything about the stability of the Red Sea valve, but I expect I could answer this one if I understood what you were asking exactly:

Any way to go through that with the reactor?

 

[John D'Amico]

I acquired an old MTC reactor. Works fine. Blue line is in intake. Green is effluent. Green run to the sump and just drips. Instead of going to the sump directly, could I put the doser inline between the reactor and the sump?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I acquired an old MTC reactor. Works fine. Blue line is in intake. Green is effluent. Green run to the sump and just drips. Instead of going to the sump directly, could I put the doser inline between the reactor and the sump?

So the question is can you add kalkwasser directly to the reactor effluent before it mixes into tank water? I wouldn't. I think the combination of high pH, alk, and calcium will result in lots of precipitation of calcium carbonate.

 

[John D'Amico]

No. Sorry if I'm not explaining well. Can I put a dosing channel, separate from the kalk channel, inline. Effluent from calcium reactor to dosing channel to sump.

 

[John D'Amico]

So the doser is controlling calcium to the tank instead of a needle valve.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why do you need to put it after the reactor and not before it?

That said, after it may work OK.

 

[John D'Amico]

I'm trying to control what leaves the reactor and enters the sump.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm trying to control what leaves the reactor and enters the sump.

Isn't what enters the reactor the same as what leaves it?

 

[John D'Amico]

I'm trying to control the drip of the effluent into the sump.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm trying to control the drip of the effluent into the sump.

You can put the dosing pump before or after the reactor. Both work.

 

[X-37B]

I pull through the reactor with a Kamoer pump. You can set your effluent to whatever you want. This way your effluent is controlled. The drip method is not consistent and will vary. Pull or push method both work.

 

[John D'Amico]

I think the age of my reactor and the changes in how they are set up might be the problem and my confusion. Mine uses a little giant pump to pull in the water from the sump and to circulate.

 

[John D'Amico]

Blue line is in from sump AND out to reactor at the pvc manifold at the front of the little giant. At the same place, there is pvc going into the bottom of the reactor and at the top to circulate.

 

[John D'Amico]

Unfortunately the little giant controls the circulation, pull, and push. I just have to figure out how to accurately drip the push.

 

[X-37B]

Unfortunately the little giant controls the circulation, pull, and push. I just have to figure out how to accurately drip the push.

You control it with the drip valve or hook a Kamoer pump to the effluent and control it precisely.

 

[John D'Amico]

Yeah... The drip valve isn't getting it done. But you think I can add the doser? I just don't want the constant pressure of the effluent to damage the doser. I guess I just need to get it open enough to flow but not with too much pressure?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah... The drip valve isn't getting it done. But you think I can add the doser? I just don't want the constant pressure of the effluent to damage the doser. I guess I just need to get it open enough to flow but not with too much pressure?

Dosing pumps do not care about pressure.

 

[John D'Amico]

That's what I needed to hear! Lol
Sorry we took the long way around the barn.

 

[X-37B]

Yeah... The drip valve isn't getting it done. But you think I can add the doser? I just don't want the constant pressure of the effluent to damage the doser. I guess I just need to get it open enough to flow but not with too much pressure?

On my carx the recirculating pump does not pull or push effluent in and out. The Kamoer has a line that feeds the carx on the top and pulls the water through the reactor, from the sump, and out for control. The recirculating pump only keeps the water flowing in the chamber.