Kalk reactor help, kalk not lasting more than a few days

[j0tca]

Hi,

I recently built my own kalk reactor and haven't ben able to get it working properly. My effluent comes out at 12.3 when I first add the kalk powder but after the first week, the effluent is down to 11.9, indicating not true kalkwasser.

I have a mixing pump that mixes it 15 minutes, an hour before I add it to the tank.

My question is, why does my kalk reactor lose it's potency so fast. I've read of kalk reactors online here that only need to be refilled every 3 months. I'm assuming I have too much air/water interchange somehow and the co2 in the air is reacting with the limewater, turning it to calcium carbonate. My reactor is sealed except for the outlet pipe (1/4") and the inlet pipe (1/4") which comes from my ro/di. My water coming in seems to occasionally have air bubbles in it, and I can't figure out why. Do all RO/DI systems allow some air in?

because of the air coming in, I have my water coming into a small (1/4) open pipeso that air excapes back up the pipe and into open air. I estimate my reactor's capacity is 10 gallons so is this 1/4" opening really allowing enough co2 in to ruin my kalkwasser?

Anyone here have an idea if I have to seal it completely?

what about creating some sort of co2 scrubber for the incoming water? If I seal my reactor and scrub out the co2 that would dramatically increase the life of my kalkwasser inside the reactor, anyone know a way to do this?

Thanks for the help,
Will