bug spray

[Jimmy Buffett]

Ok here goes!
I added the shut off valve recently so I could work on it without turning off the water to the auto. When I cut the line to put it in the line was full of blue soap which has to be the tri-foam from my softgloss. I am Ting off from the water line that goes to the chemical pumps. The line with the shutoff goes straight up to the pump and all of the other hardware is on the after the pump line. In the bay there is a shutoff valve and a check valve as well.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

View attachment 426
This one didn't upload.

 

[MEP001]

Is there water pressure on the line you tee'd from to supply the pump?

Is there any possibility something else is tee'd into the line after the solenoid that's leaking to the bay?

The photos are too small to tell much about the plumbing - do yourself a favor and sign up for a free account at imageshack.us (Completely free) and upload them there, then use the forum link it provides to post them here.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

No there is nothing else on the line at all. It's a completely separate from the T to the bay. And I was so proud of myself for uploading pictures!
And yes there is city water pressure to the pump.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/imageuori.jpg/

 

[MEP001]

And yes there is city water pressure to the pump.

To eliminate any chance that the chemicals are messing with the solenoid, I would move the solenoid to the inlet side of the pump.

I hate to suggest something so stupid, but is there any change the solenoids are getting installed backwards? I can't tell from this image which way the flow is supposed to go.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

No it's not a stretch to imagine me installing them backwards but I did think of that and checked every time. You can see the solenoid open and the hose move when the water comes on.
I was concerned about starving the pump if I put it on the other side.

 

[MEP001]

No it's not a stretch to imagine me installing them backwards but I did think of that and checked every time.

Good, at least now I don't feel bad about asking.

I was concerned about starving the pump if I put it on the other side.

Since you're feeding the pump with what looks like a 1/2" OD tubing by a 1/2" diaphragm solenoid, it won't be a problem.

You mentioned blue soap in the feed line when you cut the tubing - maybe that or a combination of that and your bug cleaner is affecting the solenoid.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Switched sides. No better, maybe worse. Now I'm going to go have a cocktail!

 

[MEP001]

And you're certain the problem is with the solenoid? When you shut off the supply just to the solenoid, the flow in the bay stops? There's no other line like an injector downstream?

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

I'm certain there's nothing else in the line but I'm not sure it's the solenoid. I'm not sure of much! This makes no sense to me.

 

[MEP001]

I'm pretty confused too. I'd sure like to look at it myself and try to figure it out.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Yeah I'd like that too! I have a different plumber coming this week. Don't know if they will know anything about the solenoid though.