check valve help

christyf5 · #1 10-04-2008, 08:46 PM

Do check valves need to be greased or something? Do they always leak a little/lot? I'm trying to install one on my zeovit reactor so I can do the 3h on 3h off thing but the water just drains out like its business as usual even with the check valve in place (sump is too low to keep water above the zeorocks).

Any suggestions other than chucking the whole thing out the window?

Jason McK · #2 10-04-2008, 09:31 PM

Is it one with a flap or one with a ball?
Is it perfectly vertical?

J

christyf5 · #3 10-04-2008, 09:42 PM

flap and yes.

how perfect? do I need to use a level?

Sebae again · #4 10-04-2008, 09:58 PM

Check valves need head pressure to seal. So the greater height of water pressure pushing back down on the check the greater the seal. For every foot of height you only have .433 psi. pushing down. Can you loop your piping up and then back down as it goes in/out of the reactor?

Tom R · #5 10-04-2008, 10:24 PM

Hi Christy

I have the same problem with the water level in sump.

I ran my reactor pump continually with the flow valve set to half open for the break in period. I do not believe that the check valve will work.

Tom R

christyf5 · #6 10-05-2008, 12:19 AM

No I've been messing around with it and its apparent that the check valve is not going to work. I guess I'll just go back to running the reactor with a really slow flow.

Jason McK · #7 10-05-2008, 12:21 AM

I think the problem is also with the ehim pump will not hold the water when the power is off.

Christy are you on Zeo?

You can also just dial down the flow though the rock to about 1/3 after the 2 week rock break in time increase it to 1/2 flow.
Then at about the 3 rock change over you can increase the flow to the full 300gph.
I found about 200gph works best

J

christyf5 · #8 10-05-2008, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason McK

I think the problem is also with the ehim pump will not hold the water when the power is off.

Christy are you on Zeo?

You can also just dial down the flow though the rock to about 1/3 after the 2 week rock break in time increase it to 1/2 flow.
Then at about the 3 rock change over you can increase the flow to the full 300gph.
I found about 200gph works best

J

Yeah I'm just going into week 3 of zeo. You're right about that eheim pump, I didn't realize that only certain pumps work with check valves. I've had the flow running pretty slowly, I guess I'll just crank it up a tad.

Thanks