Easy DIY regulator

[MRR]

After watching some diagrams about regulators I decided to make my own.

The following device is based upon this little diagram:


My regulator operates the same like in the diagram but instead of a diaphragm I used a little squeeze piston (two gaskets on a screw squeezed to fit) and a presta valve at the gas inlet.




The spring rests on a little 12mm ball bearing, this way the plug turns very easy to set the force.


I was able to regulate my shop compressor between 8 and 0.5 bar.

[Jack_Hogg]

Very nice, I like it when people try new things, it also will save you a few bucks I am also thinking of making something like that, but not a regulator, but a safety valve for my fridgecompressor, so it won't go over 40 bars and destroy my pressure gauge. Anyway... I like it alot!

[POLAND_SPUD]

cool I've been looking for something like this... moar details please


@jack_H
that's actually quite simple... all you need is a piston with a strong spring behind it... or a shrader valve with a much stronger spring
it's better than a pop-off valve as it won't vent the whole system

[far_cry]

good job
try it on high pressures

[JDP12]

Yes please more details!!

Excellent job I would love to see if this would work around 800 psi or so

[theBOOM]

Good job good way to save some money for other stuff... do you happen to know how much pressure that 1/2" Tee can take?

[inonickname]

800 psi wouldn't be out of the question for a 1/2" brass tee, so it could regulate CO2 if made well.

[Solar]

800 psi wouldn't be out of the question for a 1/2" brass tee, so it could regulate CO2 if made well.

Depends on the brass.

[psycix]

What a beauty!
I might build one too in the next few months. However, I'd equip it with a (homemade or not) safety popoff, so if the regulator would fail to seal, it won't fill the devices behind it with unregulated pressure.

[Brian the brain]

Seeing this design ( I am very tired right now, so I might be wrong) I think it does not have a pressure independant piston.

Meaning..it will regulate up to a certain maximum point. Once the input pressure is raised above this critical point the valve won't be able to re-open the inlet channel.
This is because it works by sliding off the shrader.Imagine the input pressure raising beyond the maximum the spring can open.
It will stay shut.

BUT:

If you combine this idea with the pushbutton valve, you will have a true regulator.It will pull the valve shut when the low pressure side has reached it's max.Not matter what the input pressure will be, it will re-open once the low pressure side drops...
Only important thing is to make the low side piston larger than it's counter piston.

Put the spring behind the counter piston ( formerly the pushbutton)

Good to finally see someone take the effort of building a homemade reg, but as I have said before, the pushbutton principle is much better suited for it.

[MRR]

It's true that the design has no pressure independent piston, that's why I took a presta valve with a very small opening surface. The way it is, the construction isn't that strong anyways.
It's more like a prove of concept, something you can build up on.

I've thought about the dilemma of the maximum pressure input and have already ideas to solve that problem. It's just a matter on how to build it with my recourses and without making it to bulky.

[velocity3x]

800 psi wouldn't be out of the question for a 1/2" brass tee, so it could regulate CO2 if made well.

Considering the force exerted by high pressure on the surface area of the diaphragm, I don't think it can achieve high pressure output using anything less than a large, powerful die spring (or equivalent) on the low pressure side of the diaphragm.

[inonickname]

800 psi wouldn't be out of the question for a 1/2" brass tee, so it could regulate CO2 if made well.

Considering the force exerted by high pressure on the surface area of the diaphragm, I don't think it can achieve high pressure output using anything less than a large, powerful die spring (or equivalent) on the low pressure side of the diaphragm.

An air spring is always an option.