I’ve got an apeks I use for terp runs for vape pens, and it’s packing terps into the tanks on recovery. Started with 1000 psi friday in the tanks, did 3 terp runs, and ended with 1700 psi.
Anyone run into this issue?
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What is your collection vessel set to? You’re saying you’re putting terps into the source tank?
When you say tanks do you mean back into the CO2 tanks?
You should be harvesting your terps from the same collection pot you’d be collecting your crude from if you were to complete the full co2 extraction. If I remember correctly doesn’t the apeks stop the first phase to harvest terps then ask for change to a 37 or 39 nozzle to continue on for crude? (Completed co2 extract?)
Can you hit us with more details?
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we started the day with 1000 psi in the CO2 tanks and ended with 1700. Not sure what else could be happening besides capturing vapor-phase terps during recovery of the CO2.
This machine has run uneventfully for 6-7 months, on the same two CO2 tanks. No changes in SOPs, temperature or pressure. We only use the unit for terpene runs, 1250 psi.
Your CO2 tanks are rated that high right…?
What’s the temperature like?
which temp do you mean? extraction, collection, or room temp? I get a high pressure warning separator side and it shuts down recovery. I bled the tanks off to 1000 psi and then did the 3 runs that jacked it to 1700. Temp isn’t an issue with the tank pressure because I left them over the weekend and had the same pressure monday.
Sounds like you’re putting gaseous CO2 back in, as opposed to liquid. If you warm up a CO2 tank the pressure will go up, same concept with putting warm CO2 back in the tank.
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when I bled off the tank it reeked of terpenes in the loading dock…
Regardless, terpenes boiling points aren’t low enough to create pressure in your tank. Sounds like your collection should be set to a lower temp or pressure to allow them to fall out of solution instead of vaporizing into your tank with your CO2.
Is there no sort of intermediary tank or trap to prevent water and hydrosols getting back into your tank?
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Sounds like a valve is not closing on your separator vessels. Have you cleaned the CO2 filter on the back side? This caused our high pressure fault. Its possible its so caked up that its sending oil back into the compressor/tanks.
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That’s on my list of things to check next.
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The filter looks clean, Sonicating in EtOH now. There was a drop of oil on the drain plug but noting else.
if this was a hydrocarbon rig, I’d suggest you were pumping atmosphere into your recovery tank via a low side leak on the pump. pretty sure that fails here because you should never be pulling below atmospheric.
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Roger that. This is terps only, and subcritical, but still a notable pressure at all times.
If you are not vacuum or purging your system between runs then you are adding atmospheric gases into you system.
The pressure of your storage tank is relatively, you should be looking at it’s weight. On a hot day a cylinder can reach 2000psi but that same cylinder will be 800psi in a cold room, they both have the same amount of Co2 just different volumes of liquid and gas.
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I like to keep my cylinders in front of the heater during the winter 
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Had an Apeks and best terp pulls were 910-975psi.
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At what temperature or temperature range?
I’m assuming by “best” you mean they did not have much if at all any necessary post processing to filter out any lipids, pigments, and or cannabinoids?
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