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Re: [APD] needle valves



THANK YOU. cause thats exactly what I was wondering. I dont mind fiddling to save money. here in a couple of years then i'll start buying the big stuff when i can, of coiurse by then I probably will have much larger tanks too...
hehe

-----Original Message-----
From: "S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>
Sent: Sep 29, 2005 9:49 AM
To: aquatic plants digest <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
Subject: Re: [APD] needle valves

Well, I haven't been called an old something or other in
nearly half an hour so my pride isn't hurt. But at the risk
of sounding as if I am, I have to say that the Clippard
seems to me to get mentioned often enough in these
conversations and amost always, to my recollection, as a
decent or passable low cost alternative.

Any valve that can go from nearly closed to open can run
CO2 at 1 bubble per every few mintues or hundreds of
bubbles per minute. Afterall, allthose other flow rates are
just diff ones of the infinite number of setings between
near full closed and wide open.  The diff among valves is
how hard is it to get a setting (i.e., a knob position)
that has the flow you want. If turns of the knob make very
subtle diffs, one has more control over the flow; if when
one barely turns the knob one makes  a big change in flow,
then it's hard to dial into want you want.

Ime, the clippard does a suitable job if you don't mind
fiddling and don't expect one try to get you your desired
cahnge in flow rate. The ones I obtained can't (the simply
absolutely certainly with all my heart I believe they
cannot) have had 56 threads per inch and a 3 degree taper
because that combination should result in very fine
control, which my Clippards never exhibited. Perhaps the
quality of the taper was so uniformly poor that turns of
the knob were not a reliable control of flow. Just the
pressure of the lock nut when tightened would substantially
alter the flow rate -- I learned to adjust for that when
targeting a setting.

I can turn the knob on a B-SS4 about two turns or more to
have the same effect as about 1/8th to 1/4 turn on the
Clippard. I am willing to pay about $5 - $30 more for that;
some folks aren't and they don't have to.

I am not knocking the Clippared; more or less precise,
*they definitiely are suitable for aquatic gardening
purposes* and only cost less than $11 from Clippard:

http://www.clippard.com/store/display_details.asp?sku=MNV-4K2

Unfortunately, the shipping and handling add another $15 if
one valve is all you are ordering. Factor in the shipping
(and handling) costs of alternative valves and compare. For
about $10-$15 bucks plus shipping, the Clippard can be a
good value. After that, you might as well step up to one of
the other valves on Bob's list, imo.

sh
--- Robert H <robertph3 at comcast_net> wrote:

> You old timers always talk about Swagelok, Falco and
> Nupro... George Booths 
> comments on it are still in the FAQ, and thats what ten
> years old? How about 
> Clippard? The MNV4k2 is what M3 used to sell,  and
> described it as such  " 
> With a 56 turns / inch and 3� tapered, it can provide
> down to 10 bubbles of 
> CO2 / minute consistently (at 0 pressure). Fits most CO2
> Regulator Kits on 
> the market. Inlet - Male Threaded NPT 1/8" (measures 1/4"
> OD physically) / 
> Outlet - Hose Barb 1/8" (or 4/6 mm ID/OD tubing)."  Its
> always done a good 
> enough job for me, and it is easy to find.  I also have
> an inline needle 
> valve with 1/8 triple edged barbs. Then you don't have to
> worry about any 
> fitting on the regulator
> 
> Robert Hudson
> www.aquabotanic.com 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Aquatic-Plants mailing list
> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants
> 

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