Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jamie McNamee on January 09, 2017, 12:11:51 pm
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My wfp system is driving me crazy at the minute. It is drawing in air from somewhere and I cant work out where. It is air locking occasionally and constantly losing pressure and spluttering. If I explain my setup -
I purify water on demand with a double DI setup - it has worked fine for 12 months, but the last month it has been getting worse and worse. My system runs Tank - DI vessel 1 - DI vessel 2 - Pump - hose reel. The connections are - brass elbow from tank, short section of copper pipe, then gardiners clear reinforced 1/2 inch hose with hoselock connections on DI vessels. Hose is jubilee clamped onto pump (with strainer).
I have replaced the hozelock fittings and still getting air in. Any ideas? could the recent cold weather have anything to do with it somehow? Im stumped to be fair
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You can only draw air in before the pump, after the pump it would be a leak.
My advice is to change it to:
Tank - Pump - DI vessel 1 - DI vessel 2 - hose reel
That way you are far less likely to get airlocks.
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Thanks for the reply Soupy
I originally set it up that way, but had a few issues and was advised (I think by Gardiners..) to switch it to the way I have it now. Something to do with the pressure but I cant bloody remember what it was now ???
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Thanks for the reply Soupy
I originally set it up that way, but had a few issues and was advised (I think by Gardiners..) to switch it to the way I have it now. Something to do with the pressure but I cant bloody remember what it was now ???
I would never set mine up that way, the reason being the exact problem you are having. Bad seals are much easier to find after the pump because they will be leaks. The less connections you have before the pump the better.
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If your system does get airlocked and you have the DI vessels after the pump there is a risk of over-pressurising the bottles. That has only happened to me once in over 10 years and really, it should have been spotted before it was an issue.
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Another thing I'd be looking to change is your hose lock connections. I use john guest fittings, they are more reliable.
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Get rid of the hoselocks, they don't work well when sucking through them but are ok under pressure.
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Ok il give different fittings a try. What John guest fitting would I need to go from the threaded part of the DI?
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Change the system to as Soupy stated and before you change any fittings check the strainer for the pump. This often gets blocked in winter with dead algae and can give the same symptoms as air locks. Clean it.
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Gardiners will have all the fittings you need on the John Guest page