Flojet stall

[Earl Weiss]

My SS flo jets don't stall. All deadheaded. No bleed off Valves - Guess I am just lucky.

 

[JGinther]

How can I add an air and pressure bleed to my flojet setup? I've fought this problem for, well, ever. I've tried all of the suggested solutions (I think) that I can find on this forum but I still get stalls. I have run the air supply over a rafter and added a dryer just in front of the Flojet and an automatic bleeder from the air tank. I get very little moisture from the dryer, if any. I've replaced pumps; put in dual pumps in case one stalls; increased and decreased air pressure. Oddly, it is always my foamy brush pumps that stall and my tire cleaner pump feeding off the same air supply has worked for years without stalling. A gentle tap on the pumps starts them operating if the pressure is relieved from the demand side and if I also shut off the air to the supply line for a few seconds and turn back on the pumps work fine. How can I bleed the air supply and demand line after each use? If there was only a single bay, I could figure it out but trying to isolate all 8 bays to keep from turn on all 8 if one is activated is beyond my imagination. Thanks

I'm not sure your flojet is 'stalling'... Flojets have an anti-stall shuttle valve that is spring loaded and basically impossible to get stuck in the middle of a 'pump' cycle - which is a 'stalled' pump. What you describe sounds like a stuck check valve. If the outlet check valve gets smashed in hard enough from external backpressure, it can stick in place and might need to be punched in the face to free up. I have seen this on several low pressure systems where they tie in with hp lines and a check valve separating the two has failed. I have also seen this where freeze-ups have caused high backpressure in the line all the way back to the pump.

 

[Jerry33]

Jerry, It sounds like you've done just about everything you can do to get dry air, an air dryer before the pump a automatic drain on the compressor tank. You could be running your pressure a little high if they stall out and you tap the pump and they start, try lowering the pressure a little. We only have 1 Flojet pump left on the Foam brush and it gives us very little problems, we use Procon pumps for everything else. If you want to add a air shut off valve/air bleeder your going to have to install a IDX MX-8 controller https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-24000-idx-mx8-controller.aspx to control a solenoid valve on the air supply feeding the pump, there fairly easy to install. I don't have any filters or air dryer on my air compressor.

I got my IDX MX-8 and MAC valve; bench tested using 24vac and 2vdc to the Mac Valve and all is good. Began installing and all worked perfectly with 1 bay. Connected 6 bays and failed. All 6 bays will activate the MAC but the problem is that the relay inside the MX-8 will close but does not open (release) when power from the bay is shut off. I can shut off the 24vdc and the controller and MAC both reset and ready for the next bay input. I have connected the + and - to the power in (keeping the valve polar correct) which, as expected, makes no difference. I'm calling tech support tomorrow. Wish me luck

 

[MEP001]

Do you have the 24VDC completely isolated to only go through the relay of the MX-8 or did you combine its neutral with the bays' common?

Do the lights on the MX-8 come on and go off with the input from the bays or does anything stay on once it's powered up?

 

[Jerry33]

Do you have the 24VDC completely isolated to only go through the relay of the MX-8 or did you combine its neutral with the bays' common?

Do the lights on the MX-8 come on and go off with the input from the bays or does anything stay on once it's powered up?

Yes, 24vDC is isolated. Yes the light comes on and goes off and the little bay indicator LED comes on and goes off, but once connected, the 24VDC stays connected. If I disconnect the DC power all reset until next AC input.
Thanks. jdf

 

[Jerry33]

Do you have the 24VDC completely isolated to only go through the relay of the MX-8 or did you combine its neutral with the bays' common?

Do the lights on the MX-8 come on and go off with the input from the bays or does anything stay on once it's powered up?

Called Tech Support on the MX-8 and it was short and sweet. the power in (terminal 3) and power out (terminal 4) will only pass AC power so I had to wire in a relay to get 24VDC to the three way valve. I thought the internal relay of the MX-8 was the same as a manually operating relay but it is not. Everything is working correctly now.
thanks, jerry

 

[2Biz]

It is an old Ingrasoll-Rand compressor with small tank so kicks on a lot and I even leave the drain line slightly open so it spits water all day long and I drain each time i visit.

I think this is your culprit..."Small tank, Kicks on a lot, Have drain slightly open" …..I have a 4 bay SS with an 80 gallon tank. It rarely kicks on even when busy. To help minimize head temp and lower air temp inside the tank, I adjusted the pressure switch to kick on @ 80psi and off at about 100psi...The head and air temp hardly gets warm, so not much moisture. I drain the tank about twice a year and drain the dryer at the same time. There's never more than about a tablespoon of water in the dryer. You want to fix all air leaks so the compressor only kicks on when someone is using the wash. Doing so will also save you $$$ on electric. I've never had any issues with flojets locking up. I get 5-7 years out of them deadheaded. Or get a Procon Setup like Randy Suggested. You've already got the MX8...

 

[Jerry33]

I think this is your culprit..."Small tank, Kicks on a lot, Have drain slightly open" …..I have a 4 bay SS with an 80 gallon tank. It rarely kicks on even when busy. To help minimize head temp and lower air temp inside the tank, I adjusted the pressure switch to kick on @ 80psi and off at about 100psi...The head and air temp hardly gets warm, so not much moisture. I drain the tank about twice a year and drain the dryer at the same time. There's never more than about a tablespoon of water in the dryer. You want to fix all air leaks so the compressor only kicks on when someone is using the wash. Doing so will also save you $$$ on electric. I've never had any issues with flojets locking up. I get 5-7 years out of them deadheaded. Or get a Procon Setup like Randy Suggested. You've already got the MX8...

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not convinced that my problem is moisture. I've routed the supply line over a 10 ft high rafter immediately before the pumps and the in line moisture capture thing never has any water in it. I have 3 flojets attached to the same supply line and one has not failed in years. One of the failing pumps is less than 6 months old and the other maybe a year old. I replaced two flojets with these two failing pumps because the others were failing. Gremlins. I discovered that if I shut off the supply line and allow the line to bleed and I then hit the pumps with pressure when I turn the air back on, they operate, so maybe my latest MX-8 / 3 way valve will solve the problem. Time will tell and then I'll try something else. thanks. jdf

 

[mikemo81]

I have the same problem 5 years ago and I installed a air drier with automatic drain from granger and my problem on my foam brush flot jet is history. I have the same pump since.the flot jet pumps istricly needs dry air to perform.

Which one from Grainger are you using?

 

[water guy]

Which one from Grainger are you using?

I will take a pic of it.

 

[Jerry33]

Called Tech Support on the MX-8 and it was short and sweet. the power in (terminal 3) and power out (terminal 4) will only pass AC power so I had to wire in a relay to get 24VDC to the three way valve. I thought the internal relay of the MX-8 was the same as a manually operating relay but it is not. Everything is working correctly now.
thanks, jerry

Update: After I got the MX-8 wired correctly, not one stall since December and I'm still using the same air compressor. Nothing else was changed. Same air lines and pumps. I left both flojets attached and the sound is music to my ears when someone selects brush; the double pump-pump sound is sweet! Thanks for all the help. jerry