Weep system

[aca carwash 2]

I have a weep system I set on 30 degrees for two as bays in the winter. It’s fed with water from the main line on the left and also a line from the ss bays on the right. I put a new solenoid on last week because it was running all summer. It’s still running, when I turn it to 30 degrees it will click and when I turn it up you can hear the solenoid buzz.
There is a check valve on the left side, not sure if it’s good or bad. Any idea why the water won’t shut off?

 

[pgrzes]

The solenoid should be a normally open solenoid. That way if the electric goes out during a freeze your bays wont freeze up. So if your using a weepmizer to control it when the weepmizer output 1 is on the solenoid should be closed. When its off the solenoid should be weeping. Hope this helps.

 

[OurTown]

Is the coil voltage correct? Is the valve body installed with flow to it backwards? What is that valve make and model?

 

[aca carwash 2]

The solenoid should be a normally open solenoid. That way if the electric goes out during a freeze your bays wont freeze up. So if your using a weepmizer to control it when the weepmizer output 1 is on the solenoid should be closed. When its off the solenoid should be weeping. Hope this helps.

I’m pretty sure the solenoid is normally open, I have a check valve left of it writhing the incoming supply but not sure what the ck valve is for. It is weeping if I set on 30 degrees or 80 degrees. I hate to ask but what is a weepmizer?

 

[aca carwash 2]

Is the coil voltage correct? Is the valve body installed with flow to it backwards? What is that valve make and model?

The voltage is 120 to the coil, what would happen if the coil was in backwards? Any idea why I have water feed from both ends?

 

[MEP001]

The solenoid could be stuck open. If you get flow whether it's energized or not, there's an issue with the solenoid. If the solenoid coil would not work if it was on upside-down, something would keep it from going on upside-down.

I don't know why there would be water supply from both sides unless someone wanted a manual weep and an automatic weep to the same outlet. If the hose on the right is indeed from another source, just make sure it's closed when you're testing.

 

[pgrzes]

A weepmizer is a controller to turn on/off power to solenoid. it cycles solenoid for different times at different temp points. Not sure what your using to turn it off./on? Like MEP stated, I Dont understand why you would have feed from each side of the solenoid? but would be a good reason why there would be a check valve one one side. I would turn off the supply on the right side and then you can see if the solenoid is working, the way I look at it is if your feeding from the right side it dont matter what the solenoid is doing.

 

[New Washdog]

A weepmizer is a controller to turn on/off power to solenoid. it cycles solenoid for different times at different temp points. Not sure what your using to turn it off./on? Like MEP stated, I Dont understand why you would have feed from each side of the solenoid? but would be a good reason why there would be a check valve one one side. I would turn off the supply on the right side and then you can see if the solenoid is working, the way I look at it is if your feeding from the right side it dont matter what the solenoid is doing.

Looks like to me that the feed on the left is controlled by the solenoid and the right side feed is to me suspect. Where is that coming from, and why?

 

[Randy]

When I first looked at the picture my first thought was what a cobbled up mess!! I think you should start from scratch and re-plumb what you have. What turns the weep valve on and off? Can you post a picture of what controls the weep valve? Take the regulator out, you don’t need it, it’s already turn down as far as it will go. Where do the 2 yellow poly hoses go to?

 

[aca carwash 2]

Looks like to me that the feed on the left is controlled by the solenoid and the right side feed is to me suspect. Where is that coming from, and why?

The right feed is coming a line each from bay 1 & bay 2, I have the petcocks off.

 

[Jeff_L]

What is controlling the solenoid? Just a thermostat? What is the output voltage of that device and what is the input voltage needed for the solenoid? Should say right on the body of the coil.

Water always on, look on the side of the body of the valve or on the bottom, there should be an arrow. That shows flow direction, if backwards it won't hold the water back. The arrow should be pointed from the source to the bay lines.

Where do those yellow bay lines connect? Above the bays in a manifold? Personally I would have them T into the HP line in the equipment room (with a check valve between them and the HP connection).

You say the blue hose on the right comes from the two bays, there must be a T somewhere before the picture? There's only one hose. When you say it comes from the bays, what do you mean exactly? What do they connect to?

I don't think you need to start all over, but there are some complexities you could remove from the setup there. If you have a NO valve, then voltage needs to be applied all the time to keep it closed when it is above your set temperature. When the ambient temp drops, then you want the voltage to disengage which will open the valve. Note, when you are done having freezing temps, I would turn off the voltage and the water supply to the valve so you don't incur wear and tear on the solenoid and cook it all summer long.

 

[aca carwash 2]

Looks like to me that the feed on the left is controlled by the solenoid and the right side feed is to me suspect. Where is that coming from, and why?

The right feed is coming from the the two lines to the ss bays and not sure why.

 

[aca carwash 2]

What is controlling the solenoid? Just a thermostat? What is the output voltage of that device and what is the input voltage needed for the solenoid? Should say right on the body of the coil.

Water always on, look on the side of the body of the valve or on the bottom, there should be an arrow. That shows flow direction, if backwards it won't hold the water back. The arrow should be pointed from the source to the bay lines.

Where do those yellow bay lines connect? Above the bays in a manifold? Personally I would have them T into the HP line in the equipment room (with a check valve between them and the HP connection).

You say the blue hose on the right comes from the two bays, there must be a T somewhere before the picture? There's only one hose. When you say it comes from the bays, what do you mean exactly? What do they connect to?

I don't think you need to start all over, but there are some complexities you could remove from the setup there. If you have a NO valve, then voltage needs to be applied all the time to keep it closed when it is above your set temperature. When the ambient temp drops, then you want the voltage to disengage which will open the valve. Note, when you are done having freezing temps, I would turn off the voltage and the water supply to the valve so you don't incur wear and tear on the solenoid and cook it all summer long.

The voltage is 120 to the coil and the coil is 120. Yes it’s just a thermostat controlling the coil. The flow is in the correct position. There is a check valve in there also left of the coil between the source. The yellow lines go to a manifold in the roof. Really not sure why the water water won’t shut off, could it be the ck valve? Maybe I should shut off the petcocks to the yellow lines and open the petcocks to the ss bays

 

[Randy]

With a car wash in Maryland I’d scrap the system you have now and upgrade it with a Dixmor Weep Mizer https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-8-dx1000-weep-mizer.aspx . With the set up you have now controlled with just a thermostat you’ve probably got a normally closed solenoid valve and you’re wasting a lot of water, it comes On and stays On. A Weep Mizer will save you a lot of money on your water and sewer bill because it cycles On and Off as the temperature gets colder it stays On longer. To tell you the truth I don’t think you know what you’ve got or what it controls so I think you might be better off having someone come in and install a proper weep system or help you install a proper weep system. What you’ve got now is a cobbled up mess. I’m sorry if I’m coming across as being ass but I’m just being truthful.

 

[Jeff_L]

Agree with Randy, tough to troubleshoot something that’s not even close to standard. Check valve between source and solenoid? Wonder what the person who put it together was thinking.

 

[aca carwash 2]

When the thermostat is on 30 degrees the water doesn’t come out, when I move the thermostat to the current temp the water comes on. I know I’m not the sharpest crayon in the box but since I recently replaced to old solenoid with a normally open solenoid does this mean I should of gotten a normally closed one? The old one was very old and couldn’t get any info off it.

 

[Randy]

That means you've got the wrong solenoid valve. With your thermostat setup you have you should be using a normally closed solenoid valve. The only time you'd need a normally open solenoid valve would be if your using a Dixmor Weep mizer.

 

[aca carwash 2]

That means you've got the wrong solenoid valve. With your thermostat setup you have you should be using a normally closed solenoid valve. The only time you'd need a normally open solenoid valve would be if your using a Dixmor Weep mizer.

Thank you!!

 

[MEP001]

What controls the solenoid? A lot of thermostats have both a close on rise and an open on rise circuit. If yours does, just move the appropriate wire. You're better off with a close on rise and a normally open solenoid so if your power goes out your weep comes on.

 

[aca carwash 2]

What controls the solenoid? A lot of thermostats have both a close on rise and an open on rise circuit. If yours does, just move the appropriate wire. You're better off with a close on rise and a normally open solenoid so if your power goes out your weep comes on.

Hmmmmmm, for 18 years I turn the thermostat down when it’s cold and it weeps. The water had been weeping all summer. I get a new solenoid and I turn it down, no weep. Turn temp up it weeps. Wrong solenoid or no? Who’s on first