Swapping out RS diaphragm alive for gate valve

[Ziggy17]

Hi all,

Has anyone on the site swapped out the stock diaphragm valve to a gate valve for the RS Reefer 300 XL G2? If so, do you have a parts list? I’ve talked to a couple local shops and they have no experience doing it, it they did Red Sea uses metric, so it would likely be much easier to stay metric. Saves on buying additional conversion bits.

Hopefully someone has my tank and has done it successfully, and can guide me through.

Just notice I was slew footed by auto correct in the thread title. Should read “ Diaphragm valve” not alive……

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[ThatsNoMoon]

This is the video I used to guide me. I did mine for the Reefer 250 so once I got myself the parts (or close enough) in the video, I just cut the pipes to match the same shape as 250's downflow pipe. I got my valves off this site.

Shameless plug but this thread I posted may also be relevant! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:
Automated Red Sea Downflow Valve

 

[X-37B]

I was is the same boat as the rs valve is not the best. I decided to add a ball valve to the return and just open up the rs gate valve. Simple fix for the rs gate valve issue. Very consistent now.

 

[exnisstech]

Hi all,

Has anyone on the site swapped out the stock diaphragm valve to a gate valve for the RS Reefer 300 XL G2? If so, do you have a parts list? I’ve talked to a couple local shops and they have no experience doing it, it they did Red Sea uses metric, so it would likely be much easier to stay metric. Saves on buying additional conversion bits.

Hopefully someone has my tank and has done it successfully, and can guide me through.

Just notice I was slew footed by auto correct in the thread title. Should read “ Diaphragm valve” not alive……

Hey Ziggy did you ever do this conversion? I've had just about enough of screwing around with the valve on my g2 300 XL. Tank isn't new (almost 3 years) but I'm just getting tired of all the fidling with it. I have a DC pump that can be changed in 1% increments. Pump has been swapped for cleaning so two pumps have been used, valve has been disassembled and cleaned but its still either too high or too low and both are noisy. This isn't my first RS tank so I'm familiar with how finicky they can be but this one is really starting to push the limits if my patience. TIA

 

[X-37B]

Hey Ziggy did you ever do this conversion? I've had just about enough of screwing around with the valve on my g2 300 XL. Tank isn't new (almost 3 years) but I'm just getting tired of all the fidling with it. I have a DC pump that can be changed in 1% increments. Pump has been swapped for cleaning so two pumps have been used, valve has been disassembled and cleaned but its still either too high or too low and both are noisy. This isn't my first RS tank so I'm familiar with how finicky they can be but this one is really starting to push the limits if my patience. TIA

On my RS170 I got tired of this also. I was going to replace the valve but installed a ball valve after the ac pump. This, with the gate and the ball, I now have total control.

 

[exnisstech]

On my RS170 I got tired of this also. I was going to replace the valve but installed a ball valve after the ac pump. This, with the gate and the ball, I now have total control.

Thanks. I saw that but was thinking a DC pump able to be controlled by 1% increments would accomplish the same thing but obviously I was wrong lol. I may have to think about trying your mod. It would be much easier than hard plumbing a gate valve.

 

[X-37B]

Thanks. I saw that but was thinking a DC pump able to be controlled by 1% increments would accomplish the same thing but obviously I was wrong lol. I may have to think about trying your mod. It would be much easier than hard plumbing a gate valve.

It's worth a shot before doing any major refit.

 

[Ziggy17]

Hey Ziggy did you ever do this conversion? I've had just about enough of screwing around with the valve on my g2 300 XL. Tank isn't new (almost 3 years) but I'm just getting tired of all the fidling with it. I have a DC pump that can be changed in 1% increments. Pump has been swapped for cleaning so two pumps have been used, valve has been disassembled and cleaned but its still either too high or too low and both are noisy. This isn't my first RS tank so I'm familiar with how finicky they can be but this one is really starting to push the limits if my patience. TIA

I did swap it out prior to the second seam issue. Solved the problem immediately. I’d do it

I also put on a couple unions so the valve could be serviced easily.

 

[docscorals]

On their gen 3 models, it looks like they finally switched to gate valves. Too bad they didn’t sell conversion kits.

 

[exnisstech]

I did swap it out prior to the second seam issue. Solved the problem immediately. I’d do it

I also put on a couple unions so the valve could be serviced easily.

Nice! Any chance you have a list of items you used? I've only plumbed with standard US sized pvc .

 

[UncommonSense]

Nice! Any chance you have a list of items you used? I've only plumbed with standard US sized pvc .

If you want to do it the quick and dirty way, as I did after having overenthusiastic “help” moving the tank; a NPT to slip pipe adapter can be used!

In the case of this R450, it was a 1” NPT to slip adapter, hogged out by ~2mm via die grinder and calipers, then cemented in place after cutting off the remnants of the factory union threads!

Pretty? No!
Effective? Very!

Note that this is far from the gold standard for a metric to imperial plumbing conversion, especially in a higher pressure application… but, it definitely works for this purpose if you’ve got a careful hand on your grinder!

(This works because pipe cement melts the surface of the plastic it’s applied to, offering a small amount of leeway for imprecision within pipe joints!)

 

[Ziggy17]

I used these unions
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...der_detail.order_detail_item.2.5618f19cy7Igpw
And this gate valve
https://japan.rrproducts.com/32mm-pvc-gate-valve-soc-viton-rg2034010.html
Both are the 32mm metric size that RS uses for their plumbing, so you don’t need to go to imperial. I used a clear 2 part primer and cement from Home Depot.