Float Valve Problems

[Todd]

I am going away for a 10 days tommorow, and with the warmer temps I am going through alot of top up water, so I decided to hook the float valve in my sump right upto my RO/DI unit via 50 feet of water line, instead of the usual 5g reservoir it is usually hooked up to.

The problem is that the float valve doesn't seem to have a good enough seal on it to handle the higher pressure and 'leaks water' so that there is too much fresh water being put in.

The float valve is a Kent valve, and the RO/DI is the Aquasafe Maxis unit. I turned the pressurized reservoir on the RO/DI unit off, so that the only pressure is the pressure from the input.

Does anyone have any suggestions to stop the 'leaking'? I have checked all of the connections on the float valve and they are as tight as I can get them. I cant seem to take the valve off of the sump though, I wanted to do this to see if I could clean / tighten it.

I know that alot of people have their system plumbed into their RO/DI this way, how do they get it to work?

[christyf5]

Ooh bad idea, IMO. This is a recipe for disaster as if the RODI can't shut off it can flood your system with RO water, nuking it. Can't you just fill a big garbage can and have that serve as your FW reservoir? Thats what I do when I go on vacation. Barring that you'd probably need a shutoff valve to shut down the RO unit when the reservoir is full.

[wickedfrags]

Do you just have the kent float valve (paddle) or the entire shut off kit which includes the pressure celenoid? Install the celenoid on the clean side of the RO membrance housing and go directly to the float valve.

Where does it leak from? Any pictures?

[Snappy]

I'd be careful of hooking it straight to the sump, heavy danger. I was having problems with my dosing pump in the res staying on because the float valve in the sump would stick so I put it on a timer and now no more flooding. Maybe you can use a bigger res for while you're away and impliment that type of idea. I just use a large garbage can for mine. If you can fill a larger res with enough water to last your vacation that is what I would do. It's worth the $15 at Crappy Tire to be safe.

[Canadbis]

I am interested to know more about the garbage can method. I am going away and am trying to figure out how to rig a top off system. What else is needed for the garbage can solution?
So far my Ideas are to cut the bottom off an 18L bottle of water and install a ball valve in some tubing so when the water level drops it opens the valve and tops up. but man am I scared to do that

[Pescador]

My RO/DI is hooked up to a 20g garbage can with a Kent float valve.
The float valve stays clean being in fresh water, if it were to stick you flood the can not your tank.
Then you can use your top up method of choice from the can to your tank. I've been using the Blue-line Tsunami AT-1 but there are others.

[Todd]

I recognize the possibility for disaster here, but having a 40g reservoir sitting above the level of my sump would put the same sort of pressure on the float valve and would result in the same situation (of the valve leaking), and would have nearly the same consequences as having the RO directly plumbed in minus a few gallons extra on the floor.

I figured this way was going to be easier then the large garbage can method (that's what I was going to do in the first place), as I wouldn't have to worry about raising the can above the sump level, and I wouldn't have to haul a bunch of water across the house (as my RO in in the Bedroom sink and the tank is across the house in the living room). Plus this way I don't have to worry about a hose drilled / siliconed in letting go.

Regardless of all that, I found out what the problem was after playing around for an hour this morning. The seal where the RO line came in was no good anymore, so after taking it all apart and putting on some teflon tape its working well! 5 hours of being hooked up (at full pressure) and the level in the sump is dead on. I am going to turn the RO's 5g pressurized reservoir off and throttle back the input on the RO unit anyways.

Thanks for the info on the shutoff valve / pressure solenoid, Christy and 220G. I don't have the valve but it is something that I am going to look into for the future.

[mark]

Just a comment/question from the other side (I'm using a float valve made for furnace humidifiers).

How many people out there have had their basements flooded or heard of other people having problems with their furnace humidifier. Seems the only problem I've ever heard, relating to the valve, was is they wouldn't flow.

Guessing there's more humidifiers than fish tanks.

[untamed]

My FW holding tank is nearly 100 gallons, and it is 3 feet off the ground. Since the water line is JG tubing (really small), the Kent float valve easily holds the pressure.

Nevertheless, I do have a float switch solenoid that will close the line in the event of unusually high water level in the sump.

[mark]

Originally Posted by untamed

My FW holding tank is nearly 100 gallons,

How is the FW water maintained (sealed container, do you keep it aerated, agitated, any concerns of undesirable grow etc)?