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grv
08-28-02, 09:47 PM
and Don Ho has nothing to do with it.

I have an Innovatek kit, which ships with small, thin walled 8mm tubing. I was dying to get rid of it, and accomplished this by replacing all the fittings for 10mm (originally 8mm), and then using larger diameter 3/8" ID 1/2" OD tubing. I was also able to ditch some elbows that were slowing the flowrate. I netted a cool 3-4 degrees lower at full load. I'm folding right now for the last 5 days straight at 34-36 degrees C - for me that is good.

The problem is, since the tubing and fittings, I now have small bubbles, and lots of em. In the past, when I filled the system these would eventually get trapped in my res - attaches right to my 1046 pump. It's been days, and they are still here.

Some factoids:

I mixed a gallon of distilled water and water wetter, and have been using the same mix for every refill after a mod. No change there.

I have shaken / inverted everything in an attempt to get any trapped air out.

The one remaining small diameter fitting is the adapter that takes the small threads on the 1046 to the larger threads on the fittings - I know this is bad. Basically an 8mm bottleneck. I wonder if this is the problem.

Just based on how the water empties into the res - things are moving faster. I have a sponge/filter from the pump kit in there to help with the bubbles.

The responses to this kind of thing are usually to add a T trap anywhere, as long as the end of it is higher that the rest of the system, and also to use dish soap or WW to deal with the bubble size. My res is low, but it always worked before. I'm using WW.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Daemonfly
08-28-02, 10:41 PM
I *think* one possibility is that the water is now flowing better, meaning going thru the res even faster. Worked before with the lower flow, but is now having problems with the higher flow.

There might not be enough distance between, or proper placement of, the fittings on the res. This might trap the air inside the flow of water, not giving enough time to seperate in the res.

Easy test is to just temporarily slow the flow down a bit (kink the hose, etc... ) and see if that works.

grv
08-30-02, 01:54 PM
Easy enough to try - thanks for the advice!

Diggrr
08-30-02, 04:22 PM
A second thing to check after that would be a tiny leak at the suction side of the pump. That increas in waterflow can suck air past a loose hose or an impropper thread sealing job, and it may not leak water at all. My Danner did this for a day or two till I added a hose clamp to the barb fitting, and tightened up the fitting's threads.

Hope ya get it, those little picky details can be nerve wracking!