SS check valve Question..........

[Jim Martin]

this is the old style 1/4 inch SS check valve

Is it possible to put one of these on each side of my wand.. where the 1/4 line goes in ?

I would just replace the 1/4 fittings that are screwed into the manifold with the 1/4 inch check valves........and hook the lines back up the same way......

Does anyone know if this would effect the water in any way......

I would really like to find a way to keep my wand from dripping all the time........the long check valves that are hooked to my jets are just not making it....They don't last long at all and are not cheap to replace 6..........

The small 1/4 inch may not last as long but it is cheaper to replace 2 then 6....

 

[hogjowl]

Man ... you seriously need to clean that thing up!

You hack!

 

[Jim Martin]

that is another good question.........what can I use to shine it back to looking new........??

I have a big event coming up in about a week and I have to have everything in top shape and cleaned. I even blocked days off to do nothing but clean in side and out........

 

[hogjowl]

50/50 ammonia and water. Soak it for awhile.

 

[Jim Martin]

Cool thanks.........

 

[B&BGaryC]

A very dilute solution of myriatic acid (spelling?) will work, let it sit for five minutes, nuetralize it and spray it off with a pressure gun. Only do that once a year if you want your wand to last. The acid actually eats the metal, that's why it looks new, you haven't seen that part of the wand until the acid eats a layer off...

 

[BradFenstermaker]

After you soak in Amonia/Water get some mother's chrome polish and go to town with it.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

The 1/4" check valves will fit with some tube trimming, however you may not be happy with the results: the contents of the manifold will still drizzle out after releasing the control valve.

 

[Ron Lippold]

Jim if you can keep it below 250 at the machine you should not drip. Going to 18 flow helped mine not leak. At the machine im running 235-245 while cleaning

 

[B&BGaryC]

Anybody know anything about those "wonder-weasel" spring-things they advertise in the back of ICS and Cleanfax? Do they actually work? (Or is that the check-valve thing you are talking about and I'm just dumb?)

 

[Larry Cobb]

Jim;

I think you would get better results by putting check valves in the VeeJets themselves.

We've done a few with good results.

Larry Cobb

 

[Greenie]

It's sanded and etched TITANIUM not polished stainless, it's only gonna look so clean, just keep the emulsifier off of it, try the vinegar/water bucket dip, the vinegar also works it's way up into the jets and keeps them clear as well, just come home and dunk the wand in the bucket overnight.

ps: checkvalves don't work at 250º, too much thermal expansion. If you find they don't check below 230, it's probably some type of foreign debris in the springs, the regular vinegar dip may solve this issue, it's less likley but also possible one or two checkvalves have a burr or scratch not allowing the ball to seat properly.

 

[Jim Martin]

My temps are only 230 at the machine..........so what do you figure it is by the time it gets to the wand.......220 maybe........

As far as the check valves............Eddie told me to take the jets off and use a hex wrench and tighten the springs...(I did not know you could do this)

All 6 springs were real loose..I tightened all 6 and so far not a drop......

we will see how long that holds up.............

thanks for the help.........

 

[Greenie]

Jim, the checkvalves are adjustable, be careful of over tightening them, just "snug" is plenty, it's a balance between pressure required to open them and the resulting flow restriction associated with that, and the same pressure pushing the ball closed to actually prevent drips. Once you are happy with the performance, put a drop of loc-tite on the 5/32" brass keeper.

The early generations were much looser, the newer ones are tighter and more consistent, I'm happy for now, but still looking to improve them for super high heat applications.

I do not like the spring and ball inside the actual jet, it's too close to the orifice and distorts the spray pattern from the swirl of the spring, you need some "stand off" distance for the spray to straighten out before hitting the actual jet.

We have a tech support phone number if something like this comes up in the future 866-438-8335

 

[JohnnyV]

Since we're on the subject of Check valves, I think the check valves put my jets too close to the carpet and it streaks on some carpeting. Whats a guy to do about that? Also getting dripping, streaking at high temps when going forward with the wand not triggered.

Thanks
JohnnyV

 

[Greenie]

"streaking at high temps when going forward with the wand not triggered."

JV, is the "streaking" just wet marks from the jets pissing? Does it go away with a dry pass?

 

[Jim Martin]

Not knowing how tight to put them that was all I did was just snug them up........I used it hard for 5 1/2 hours today and not a single drop.I will have to pull it back down and put the loc-tite

thanks again

 

[Dolly Llama]

JohnyV, what PSI do you run and is the streaking on all carpets?
Or just some, like cheap cut piles or some saxony


Greenie, help me understand this.
I know the drips/dribbles are from expansion when the sol temp reaches 240+.
But you've mentioned a heavier spring ch valve would impede/restrict flow.
Can't that be over come by bumping the PSI when using heavier spring ch Vs???

BTW, order on the way in a minute via PM


..L.T.A.

 

[Jim Martin]

one of my catalogs has 3 pages of check valves.........

Max pressures range from 125 psi up to 3000 psi

cracking pressures range from 1 psi to 10

not a single one will support 180 degrees



except one ............

195 degrees
Rated pressure 5,8000
Max pressure 6,5000
all stainless steal

but it does not give the cracking pressure

might be hard to get one to hold high heat....

 

[Dolly Llama]

Jim, judging by the pee streams or fine spray I see at ultra temps, my guess it would take check valves in the neighborhood of 50 to 100 psi break strength


..L.T.A.

 

[Greenie]

Meat is right.

The whole checkvalve thing is a balancing act.

A spring stiff enough to require 15-20 psi to "crack" is actually stiff enough to cause some flow restriction, which we can over come with larger jetting, but...there is always some flow restriction, it's a balance.

On our early checkvalves, I did some flow comparisons, checks vs: no checks, same wand same jets same 500 psi.

The free flow wand flowed 1.75 gpm
The checkvalve wand flowed 1.50 gpm

We did also find turning the pressure up 50-100 psi overcame this differential, so in the end it wasn't that big of a deal, hence I bumped the spring pressure on the new checkvalves, they take at least 20 psi to crack, now if I can just get them to last a full year.lol

ps: There is a reason we use brass for the body of the checkvalve and not Stainless, you want a forgiving metal between the stainless manifold and stainless jets so no threads get boogered, those titanium manifolds are pricey.

Meat, got your PM.

 

[JohnnyV]

Yeah Greenie,the drippy Streaks do go away with a dry pass....
I'm only running about 250 - 350 PSI. Streaks on Really dirty plush, not so much on Berber....

 

[Greenie]

JV, you pull the jets and see if the lil brass keeper is loose? Probably jsut need to tighten them, hit ti with a drop of loc-tite, it's just a simple spring/ball checkvalve could have worked loose.

ps: Don't be afraid to turn your pressure up a bit, it's a 45º angle on the jets, not gonna over wet.