CO2 Tank attachment question

[Jim Miller]

I've always had trouble with my 20lb CO2 not lasting very long...like weeks rather than months. Based on some back of the envelope calculations I once did a 20lb tank should easily last over a year on a aquarium my size.

So today when putting everything together I decided to make sure that everything was leak free. I used the blue goopy liquid from HD which makes nice bubbles when a leak is present and each of my Teflon taped joints was nice and tight with no leaks. I also tested all of the ports on the regulator and it was all good.

Then as an after thought I painted the big outlet where the big brass nut threads the stem onto the tank and it was immediately fizzy! I had cranked down on this with a big wrench when putting on the regulator. It has one of the fiber washers inside. Another major wrenching resulted in no improvement.

I loosened the nut and took off the regulator and looked at the mating surfaces of the stem and the tank and they are smooth and without burrs. I looked at the fiber washer and there were clear imprints of both mating surfaces which didn't look like a problem.

Have others seen this? How much "wrench" do you apply when attaching your regulator to the tank? Perhaps I'm scuffing the surface of the fiber washer by over tightening it?

I have a little brass insert (edit: it's called a Perma-Seal) with a built in O-Ring that I've used in the past. I put a very thin layer of silicone plumbers grease on both sides of it to lube the O-ring then threaded into the tank output and then reattached the regulator. A test with the blue goo is now bubble free.

But I'm still curious about the fiber washer approach and others' results.

Anyone?

Jim

[GOT MTS?]

Sorry I use a plastic washer that came with my aquatek reg. I tighten until my reg wants to spin with the nut and then give a quarter turn.

[SCMurphy]

I don't use the fiber washers. I use a permaseal or a plastic washer.

[Jim Miller]

I think I have a spare in the basement that I'm going to look for some fresh o-rings at the hardware store.

Just in case....

Fiber washers are now in the trash!

Jim

[Jim Miller]

Found 3 spares in the basement!

Woo hoo!!

[Nikhilsk99]

My 5lb lasts for 6 months with 5 bubbles per second for my 40 breeder. I change my nylon washer every time I have new co2 refill.
http://www.sodaparts.com/products/soda- ... washers-10

[sns26]

Jim, did you use a new fiber washer every time you opened up and then re-attached the nut to the tank? They are single-use devices.

[Jim Miller]

Always replaced them. The permaseal is working great. I also put a tiny smear of plumber's silicone on the rubber surface.

jim