Above bay check valve recommendations

[Sharpshine]

I’m looking for above bay check valve recommendations. I am currently using the 1/4 brass kleen rite check valves on my pre-soak, tire cleaner, and spot free, but wondering if there is a better product that I should be using. Thanks in advance.

 

[MEP001]

Fluid Controls CV-100T Stainless Steel Check Valve - 1/4 In FxF , 3500 PSI, 4 GPM, PTFE

This Fluid Controls CV-100T check valve is made with stainless steel and has a PTFE O-Ring with female 1/4" connections. Rated for 4 GPM and 3500 PSI.

www.kleen-ritecorp.com

I have no trouble with these. I tried their Viton seal ones, but sometimes the o-ring would come off. The Teflon ring on this one is on securely. The only other trouble I had was using a 1/4" on medium pressure spot-free - the flow was too much and broke off the plastic tabs that retain the poppet. Going up to 3/8" solved that issue.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

1/4 REGO stainless check valves about $35-40 each Carolina Pride has best price on them if you buy so many will last long time. Rego is a LP gas manufacture industrial company and there checkvalves are to high standards southern pride carwash systems used them back in the day also. I have seen some last 20 years easy

 

[MEP001]

FWIW I've replaced a lot or Rego check valves, mostly brass but some stainless. It's only the rubber parts in them that tend to go bad, but they do eventually fail. The best check valve I've seen was Hoke which they still make but not to the same standards. I've taken down a brass Hoke check valve that I know was in service for about 45 years, and it just needed a new o-ring to be good as new.

 

[OurTown]

How do the US Paraplate CVs stack up against what you guys recommend?

 

[MEP001]

Very well, IMO a good choice in a high-flow application since they're so wide open inside. As much as I like the Fluid Controls, they create a restriction in the line and have to be oversized.

 

[Sharpshine]

Thanks for all the info!

 

[MEP001]

I’m looking for above bay check valve recommendations. I am currently using the 1/4 brass kleen rite check valves on my pre-soak, tire cleaner, and spot free, but wondering if there is a better product that I should be using. Thanks in advance.

I should mention that besides using a good reliable check valve, it's a good idea to have some sort of protection to minimize problems or burst lines. For example, on the spot-free line to the bay, I prefer to not have any check valves between the bay and the tank, or to have some sort of relief valve so if a bay check valve goes bad he pressure is dumped instead of breaking something. On tire cleaner/presoak, I have them with a common air line all on one check valve, and I use an air regulator inside that will vent pressure above what it's set for. If I have a check valve fail there, it relieves the pressure from the air regulators. It may make a mess, but again nothing ever bursts and the pumps are protected.

 

[Sharpshine]

Right now I have 3 seperate check valves for each bay, one each for spot free, tire cleaner, and pre-soak. Is there any reason that I shouldn’t tee the pre-soak and tire cleaner together right before the check valve and eliminate one of the check valves?

 

[MEP001]

I always put the tire cleaner, presoak, and air line together on one check valve. I run the pressures about the same so I don't have any issues with backfeed, but if you run the tire cleaner really low and the presoak really high pressure you may need a check valve on the air line where it splits off to the two systems. There's a cheap little plastic one that splices into 1/4" tubing that works well for that.