Geo calcium reactor lid -- what's the secret?

[fsn77]

I bought a new Geo calcium reactor 2 weeks ago, but find myself struggling with what would seem to be the simplest of things about it -- getting the lid to seal properly. I've tried putting the lid on with the o-ring dry and the o-ring wet, yet find that I always have 2 or 3 spots where the seal leaks. By leaks, I don't mean it's spraying water or constantly dripping... It's enough to wet the base plate of the reactor over the course of roughly 8 hours (like a couple of drops every 10 minutes or so). I'm tightening the thumb screws in an alternating pattern like it says, watch the o-ring compress between the lid and the reactor nicely, and I'm using the recommended feed pump (a MJ 1200). I've taken the o-ring out and looked at it closely, only to see that it looks perfectly fine.

I love the reactor's troubleshooting guide suggestions... If the lid leaks, the problem is that the thumb screws need to be tighter or the feed pump is too large. Right... I've tried tightening the thumb screws as far as I possibly could without a wrench (progressively over a short period of time in one of my attempts to get it to seal), but still couldn't get the lid to stop leaking. I'm concerned that if I tighten them any more, I'm going to strip the threads.

What am I doing wrong?

[KJAhp098]

Are you positive that its leaking from the lid? I ask bc mine was leaking from the pump bc the gasket wasn't sealing properly. GEO had to send me a new pump.

[fsn77]

It's definitely leaking from the lid. When I sit there long enough, I can watch water slowly seep out between the lid and the flange, it runs down the threads of a few of the thumb screws, and then it drips down from the tip of those thumb screws.

[dew2loud1]

you can contact george directly, he's pretty good with customer service, or pm him on here

GEOSREEF.com

[fsn77]

I went ahead and sent George an e-mail. Hopefully, I'll hear back from him relatively soon. Thank you for suggesting that.

[MstgKillr]

Remove the lid and cover the o-ring with plumber's silicone.

[MrSandman]

What is the output pressure of the CO2 going into the reactor? I recommend keeping it as low as possible, i.e. 5 psi or so.

[fsn77]

I have a Reef Fanatic regulator (also brand new), which has a preset, fixed output pressure and is non-adjustable. I don't remember exactly what it is set at (not at home to check), but I know it is greater than 5 psi. I believe it is closer to 15 - 20 psi. From some of the reviews I read, this sounded like a great feature, leaving me to only adjust the needle valve, but now I'm not so sure.

[MrSandman]

I have a Reef Fanatic regulator (also brand new), which has a preset, fixed output pressure and is non-adjustable. I don't remember exactly what it is set at (not at home to check), but I know it is greater than 5 psi. I believe it is closer to 15 - 20 psi. From some of the reviews I read, this sounded like a great feature, leaving me to only adjust the needle valve, but now I'm not so sure.

Well one way to check if it is the CO2 is to just shut off the CO2. It might not be. but i've also heard stories of people over-pressurizing their reactors as well causing some leaks or worse.

[old salty]

Lube the oring, then tighten the nuts in the following order:




.........1
.....7.......4
...6...........5
......3......8
..........2


It should take you about three go rounds before the nuts are tight; each time, make them a bit tighter. No need to put a gorilla grip on them; finger tight will do.

[AcroporAddict]

I have a geo 618 and 612, the same thing happened. Get silicone grease at Ace hardware and lube up the ring. Your problem will be solved.

I think the problem stems from the machined groove for the o-ring in the reactor's top (black part). It is not smoooth, and is somewhat rough. That is where the water is probably coming from. The grease takes care of any issues, with even tightening of the top screws in a star pattern, like you'd use to tighten the bolts on a car tire.
Dave

[fsn77]

Thanks for all the advice! I'll pick up some silicone grease and give that a try. Considering how small the leaks are, I feel like it will.

[fsn77]

The silicone grease did the trick!

I heard back from George, and he recommended the silicone grease as well. He mentioned that he coats that o-ring when he builds them, but if it sits long enough before being sold, it can dry out.

Thanks again everyone!