Inline DIY heater & CO2 reactor

Hello all,

Some members ask asked me to post a thread on my inline heater and Co2 reactor.
Unfortuantly I never took step by step pics, but quickly took some shots.

Ok, Inline heater...
Here i used normal white plumbing 50mm waste pipe, and irrigation fittings to be able connect from 16/22mm filter pipe to 50mm pipe.
I used normal plumbing pvc plumbing weld glue, to glue everything together.
At the heater's side, I drilled a hole big enough for the glass tbe to stick threw, but small enough, so that the neck of the heater doesn't go threw. And then poxyed the neck of the heater on the inside and outside of the end cap that was glued onto the 50mm pvc pipe.

The downfall with this desighn is you get a airlock at the heater when switching the filter off or doing maintenance, so a better desighn would be if you have you water line comin in on one side and going out the other, and in between the two lines, t off the 50mm pvc pipe, and thus here, by the t'ed off pipe have you heater installed vertically. This way your heater would never run dry.

On the left is the 16/22mm filter pipe coming into the inline heater, and you can see I used normal irrigation fittings



The complete inline heater, with the clear plastic pipe t'ed off, that goes to the Co2 reactor



Here you can see the poxyed heater on the right side




Inline Co2 reactor...
Here I used a normal RO chamber, drilled a hole just big enough for........these small corner filters has a small hard plastic line where you connect your airline, and a bigger line where the bubbles come out. So here I used the smaller line, poxyed it on the lid, so theres a piece of this hard clear plastic tube on the inside of the chamber and a piece sticking out, where you would connect your Co2 line.
On the inside of the chamber, I added a Ceramic diffuser, purely to diffuse the Co2 even more.
Some people say this method of diffusing Co2 is the best, as it dissolves the Co2 100%.
It wasn't cheap to make, but you will have the reactor forever, where you will have to replace ceramic diffusers at one or other stage.

The complete Co2 Chamber, line from regulator coming in from the bottom, first check valve, bubble counter, second check valve and into the chamber



The only and main reason why I have done these DIY things, is to have less equipment inside the tank.

 

Do you think using clear PVC for the in-line heater would work ?
And if I do an in-line heater and make the pipe like the size of a toilet pipe the huge thick ones and 1220m long this would make an in-line anaerobic area which then will have to run into a open area and then into a heavily bubbled area before going back to the tank ?

 

You must have flow round the heater otherwise it would not work, the non moving water will get heated and the heater will switch off and the rest of the water will stay unheated.

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How do you see for which temperature is the heater been set ?

 

Yes, you can use clear 50mm pvc pipe, as for the rest you have asked, i really don't understand in-line anaerobic area? huh?

@Gdt, I did set the temp at 24 deg before installing the heater, and then you just dial the nozzle till you get to the right temp.

 

I like it your tank looks so clear when you have no equipment in. You can get a heater with the dial at the back showing the temp setting.

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cool thanx for the info guys, pretty awesome in-line heater.

 

So, how much would you charge me for a working model? I think there is some demand here!

 

A thermometer in the tank? Remember that most heaters settings is not accurate. Just because it says 26degrees on the dial doesn't mean it is 26 degrees in the water. Even my Jager is 2 degrees out!


@morris...

Why not post that pic you emailed me regarding the heater... might be easier to explain.

 

@morris, maybe I have missed it somewhere, seeing that you epoxyed your heater and the unit is fitted with PVC glue, how are you going to go about if you need to replace it in the event of failure?

 

Make another one?

 

Cut the endcap off (that the heater is epoxied to) buy a new heater (which you would need to do in anycase), buy a new end cap (under R10) and make a new endcap+heater.

 

Cut the endcap off (that the heater is epoxied to) buy a new heater (which you would need to do in anycase), buy a new end cap (under R10) and make a new endcap+heater.

 

Yes you can, but you can also just cut the end-cap out, and make a new one

 

Morris I saw a end cap with a access screw could that work? I will be asking for your advice when I get a canister filter

 

It should work, just check the size is big enough for the heater to stick thru

 

If i have a tetra tec 1200 which is meant to do 1200litre an hour, and my tank is 303 litres what size heater shud i get for this system?? im guessing it doesnt have to be to big cause its just heating up the section in the pipe??

 

im also just nervous the water just cools as it leaves the pipe??

 

No you will have or should have constant flow around the heater, so it will heat the water untill it is the set temp before shutting off. Just remember that the water cools down slowly, depending on the ambient temp

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