Gas locked PF601 Deltec Calcium Reactor

Question:

I am unable to maintain a steady drip rate through my PF601 as I am getting a gas bubble in the outlet tube on top of the reactor. If a shake the reactor gently then the gas is released and water drips through. How do I rectify this ?I also get gas bubbles going through the pump. Is this normal

Answer:

It is very hard to get a definite drip rate due to the changes in pressure in the reactor between the water going in and then the CO2 bubbling in.

As an open vessel the air gets forced out as the water level rises and even though there may be a bubble of air in the cap this will not stop the water from dripping out.

The usual thing that you see is drip, drip, dribble, gap, drip, drip etc as the various changes happen.

As long as you have an average flow of whatever drip rate you are trying to achieve and the bubble rate is more or less in balance then you will get the desired results from the reactor.

The gas bubbles do pass through the pump which breaks it up and dissolves them quickly however it can also make a hiss hiss noise. You can introduce the air after the pump if you modify the unit and I believe that the latest versions are built this way as it was found that it had little effect on how well the gas dissolved. The gas passing through the moving media is enough to fully dissolve the gas.

Hope this helps

Stuart