# CO2 leaking from paintball adapter vent hole



## vraev (Mar 29, 2012)

Hi guys,

This is the second CO2 tank that has just leaked from my system. I got the UNS mini CO2 regulator from Nature aquascapes. I also bought a paintball adapter from them.

The first setup experience with it and the first fill of CO2 tank: I picked up a brand new tank from badlands paintball in hamilton. I followed the instructions..no teflon tape, just put the white washer in the regulator and adapter, tightened it and then attached that to the CO2 tank. Immediately it gassed out...from between the space of adapter and regulator. I lost half the CO2 tank getting the fitting "not too tight/tight enough". I finally installed it to the tank. I wasn't able to see any leaks that day. A day later, I noticed the pressure guage was already fdecreasing. Now this is delivery pressure, so it shouldn't go down so soon unless there is a leak somewhere: Immediately I noticed there is a slight cold draft by the regulator/adapter fitting. Before I knew it the tank was fully empty.

I refilled the CO2 tank at badlands again. The store associate installed a new O ring on the tank as well. This time I got pressure resistant yellow teflon tape. Installed 3 twists of that on the adapter, used wrenches to tighten that adapter/regulator fitting. Installed tape on the CO2 tank as well and put it on the regulator. No leaks so far..everything was perfect..installed it. After around 20 min, I suddenly started hearing a loud hissing sound. THere was again air coming out of the fittings...this time from the vent hole in the adapter. I hurriedly removed it...lost a quarter tank in the process. This time, I read into it and found that the black o rings from Home Depot might solve this issue...I replaced the original paintball O ring with a black rubber ring from Home Depot. I also removed the teflon tape around the CO2 tank treads. Installed it..again...great for 1h or so....again interestingly noted the pressure on the guage seemed to be dropping below the set 0.2 Mpa. .then the gassing started..this time between the regulator and adapter..again tightened it...then it started leaking from vent hole again. Lost another quarter tank. Removed the new o ring...put in a new rubber o-ring. It worked the best for the last 15h. I went out of home at 10PM. By this time, the CO2 tank was shut off (solenoid was shut off) for 4h. I came back home at 2AM and the moment I entered my house, I heard a gassing sound. CO2 was again leaking from the vent hole on the adapter.

I am at a loss. I don't know what is happening. Why am I having so many issues? Why does it work for a bit and then out of nowhere, there is a leak and the system gets a purge and leaks out. Is it the regulator? Is it the adapter? Is the o-ring being damaged progressively in there? Has anyone faced this kind of issue? My last thought is to give up this whole paintball CO2 and instead just get a 5lbs CO2 tank and ditch that entire adapter nonsense.
















Thanks

Varun


----------



## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Man I typed a whole novel and clicked on back on my mouse.....

Sorry to hear that it sounds very frustrating!, I have used paintball co2 and have built many paintball co2 full setups for people years ago. I still have one paintball co2 setup as a back up for my 3 tanks that I run separate co2 tanks on ( 2x20lb, 1x5lb). I have used on/off adapters and regulators from Canadian Tire and I never came across this issue. I have never used teflon tape when it comes to the connection between the regular and the co2 nipple. As long as you have a rubber seal you should be good to go as long as you tighten it down properly. I suggest you try soupy water all connection points on the regular body, cga320 nut, cga320 to co2 thread adapter and finally from the adapter to the tank. I also don't recall if I ever used a wrench to tighten down the regulator to the paintball tank, of course you need to use a wrench from the regulator nipple to the adapter just not from the adapter to the paintball nipple. It could be a bad adapter or the threads on the paintball tank is messed up, you already replaced the white oring on the paintball nipple and that would be the first thing I would do.


----------



## vraev (Mar 29, 2012)

Thank you very much man. Appreciate you taking the time to help.

SO in this regulator, the CGA 320 nut was already connected to the regulator. I put some tape on the CGA320 adapter...and tightened this part with a couple of wrenches (as much as I could). The white washer inside the regulator nut (CGA 320 nut) looked ok and wasn't damaged as far as I can tell. It leaked once after this but I tightened it and it seemed to hold it better. 
The venting hole leak in the adapter is now the biggest issue. I did use soapy water and it all seems to be fine for a few hours of running. Suddenly there is a gassing off sound and CO2 is leaking from this hole. I think either the rubber o ring on the CO2 tank is failing. I replaced the original o ring when I refilled the tank and replaced the paintball store o ring with an o ring from Home Depot. These ones worked but again suddenly seem to fail after a few hours. I even removed the teflon tape around the CO2 tank threads. I tried contacting nature aquaecapes where I got this whole thing.. waiting to see if I can get a resolution with the adapter. 

The problem with O rings is that Home Depot sells an assorted pack. it is hard to buy one single exact size that will work for the tank.


----------

