Hot water float valve doesn't fully shut off. The previous one didn't either?

[Sequoia]

My hot water float valve shuts off about 98%. And slowly weeps water into the tank, which overnight rises, goes out the overflow onto the floor.

When first installed, it worked fine. But the problem slowly developed. Funny thing, the exact same thing happened on the earlier valve as well.

Yesterday I added an "extension" to make the float itself farther away from the valve. Now when it reaches shutoff (or almost total shutoff) the ball is 100% submerged. I checked the ball and it is tight with no leaks.

I'm kind of stumped why this problem is repeating through multiple hot water float valves. The cold water float valve has been installed for maybe ... 100 years ... with no problem.

The only clue I can think of is the valve screws into a 1" galvanized pipe. The interior of that pipe is corroded since it is probably original since 1987. Do you think this is a problem with debris from the pipe, or something else?

 

[2Biz]

Is your weep turned on? If it is, you could have a bad CV allowing water to backflow into the tank.

 

[Earl Weiss]

What brand of Valve are you using?

 

[Sequoia]

I don't know which valve I have. I buy it from a local distributor.

It is not the weep system-- I can see the water drip from the valve. And if I pull up on the float it does shut off all the way. It just won't shut off all the way on its own.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I gave up on the Ball float type and went to this. I keep a spare on the shelf, and a rebuild kit. After a year when it goes bad I swap in the spare and put the rebuild in to have that as a spare etc. https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-12901-573-hydrominder-float-valve-only-no-mounting-bracket.aspx

 

[Sequoia]

I gave up on the Ball float type and went to this. After a year when it goes bad I swap in the spare and put the rebuild in to have that as a spare etc.

What problems did you have with the ball type that caused you to change? Same as me?

And, "after a year when it goes bad ...." What goes bad? If it leaks that is no worse than what I have. If it fails to provide water that could get expensive.

 

[Sequoia]

I looked at the Hydrominder products. It looks like the 572 model comes with a bracket. It's unclear if this is the "water only" (no chemical) but I think it is.

Earl, is this the spart part kit you keep on hand?

Kleen-Rite Corporation - Search Results for hydrominder repair kit

car-wash.kleen-ritecorp.com

 

[Earl Weiss]

What problems did you have with the ball type that caused you to change? Same as me?

And, "after a year when it goes bad ...." What goes bad? If it leaks that is no worse than what I have. If it fails to provide water that could get expensive.

Last failure I had was failure to open all the way. Yep, pumps running dry could be bad. So far the customers complained and quit trying so I was able to swap it out. Within an hour or so.

 

[Earl Weiss]

This one for the 572. https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-12761-hydro-10091906-diaphragm-kit.aspx

 

[Sequoia]

Thank you.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I looked at the Hydrominder products. It looks like the 572 model comes with a bracket. It's unclear if this is the "water only" (no chemical) but I think it is.

They are "Float Valves" No chemical injection

 

[MEP001]

Last failure I had was failure to open all the way. Yep, pumps running dry could be bad. So far the customers complained and quit trying so I was able to swap it out. Within an hour or so.

I quit using them for that reason. They either fail to open fully or they fail wide open. For me, neither is an acceptable option. I prefer the 1" Walters which is kind of a pain to rebuild, but I keep a spare ready. I've heard the Jobe is good but I can't screw it in with the tank being so narrow.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

There are float valves rated for Cold water and Hot water Jobe Topaz valves work good instailed one 2 weeks ago at a wash. You want the ones rated at 176 degrees here's a link. We use these on the laserwashes as well.

Jobe Topaz 1'' Compact Float Valve with Short Tail

DetailsJobe Topaz 1'' Compact Float Valve with Short TailBrand: JobeInlet Port: 1'' NPTFlow Rate: 90 GPMMaximum Working Temperature: 140° FPressure Range: 5-100 PSIMount: Vertically or HorizontallyTopaz Compact float valves are float operated valves for use in the automatic filling of water...

www.carwashsuperstore.com

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

I quit using them for that reason. They either fail to open fully or they fail wide open. For me, neither is an acceptable option. I prefer the 1" Walters which is kind of a pain to rebuild, but I keep a spare ready. I've heard the Jobe is good but I can't screw it in with the tank being so narrow.

You can take them apart in 2 peices super simple. We have been replacing the Walters style with Topaz style as they fail

 

[soapy]

I use the hydromnder setup also. You could also plumb in a solenoid that only opens when when a bay is activated.

 

[OurTown]

Our wash was built by Super Wash 17 years ago and they installed a Bob valve like this in our hot water gravity tank:


https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-1990-bob-float-valves-1-mip-inlet-1-mip-outlet.aspx


It has never overflowed and until recently we have not messed with it since buying the wash almost three years ago. I started noticing that it was not shutting off at a consistent water height but was not getting anywhere near overflowing. It was maybe an inch variance. After putting in a $5 seal kit (very easy to do BTW) it is still doing the same thing. Now I'm thinking that it has always done this and I never really paid that much attention but of course now I'm totally fixating on it. Could the temperature of the water have anything to do with the height variance? Do all the float valve models do this to some degree?

 

[Lilwarrenb]

I use Jobe valves, no problems so far

 

[MEP001]

Our wash was built by Super Wash 17 years ago and they installed a Bob valve like this in our hot water gravity tank:


https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-1990-bob-float-valves-1-mip-inlet-1-mip-outlet.aspx


It has never overflowed and until recently we have not messed with it since buying the wash almost three years ago. I started noticing that it was not shutting off at a consistent water height but was not getting anywhere near overflowing. It was maybe an inch variance. After putting in a $5 seal kit (very easy to do BTW) it is still doing the same thing. Now I'm thinking that it has always done this and I never really paid that much attention but of course now I'm totally fixating on it. Could the temperature of the water have anything to do with the height variance? Do all the float valve models do this to some degree?

The seats of those valves erode over time. There's probably a groove eroded into it which makes it need more pressure from the float to shut off fully. It will get worse until it won't shut off at all.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

The Jobe valves I've tried make the pressure in the lines vary so much that the main backflow's leak every time the valve shuts off.

 

[MEP001]

That sounds like the Jobe just slams shut. That's another reason why I like the 1" Walters.