Repair leaks while operating?

[Joswhaha]

Howdy y’all, I am noticing a few leaks on the push connect fittings. The only issue I see is if I can turn the valve off to just the one and repair the leaks without soaking everything. Are there some tricks to getting the water to not come back out of the small tubing when I unhook the “manifold” from below the ball valve? Also, are these fittings good or should I be upgrading to something bigger and better?

Thanks

 

[MEP001]

The John Guest tubing fittings from Kleen-Rite are some of the best push-to-connect fittings I've used, and they're really inexpensive because they're all plastic. I recommend replacing the tubing while you're at it. Try to get nylon, but poly will last about ten years.

Does your stand have spot free plumbed through the high pressure pump? There might be an Erie valve to switch between hot water and spot-free, which could be stuck halfway open.

 

[Joswhaha]

The John Guest tubing fittings from Kleen-Rite are some of the best push-to-connect fittings I've used, and they're really inexpensive because they're all plastic. I recommend replacing the tubing while you're at it. Try to get nylon, but poly will last about ten years.

Does your stand have spot free plumbed through the high pressure pump? There might be an Erie valve to switch between hot water and spot-free, which could be stuck halfway open.

Thanks for the info. It appears to me my spot free has separate pumps from the high pressure. Perhaps a main pump and a booster Just for The RO water. I haven’t really gotten into that just yet.

On a different note, do you ever remove the solenoids and clean the valves? I could do that while I have each setup apart without much more difficulty, if it is worthwhile.

 

[MEP001]

You shouldn't have to open and clean the solenoids unless you're having problems. If there isn't scale buildup in the diluted chemical tanks, you should be fine. It wouldn't hurt to make sure the strainers are in the bottoms of the tanks and are in good condition, not brittle and cracking. Do yourself a huge favor and add ball valves to the outlets of the tanks the first time you have to do something like replace a Procon pump. It's pretty easy if you have everything you need on hand. I use these, they're compact and all plastic, plated brass, and stainless (No steel or zinc). Typically all you need is the ball valve and a 3/8" nipple, but check first, yours looks like it's been replumbed already.

 

[MEP001]

Are there some tricks to getting the water to not come back out of the small tubing when I unhook the “manifold” from below the ball valve?

I'm still wondering why this is happening. There are solenoids in place that should keep presoak/soap/wax from coming out of the tubing if you remove it from the manifold. Is that what's happening?

 

[Joswhaha]

I'm still wondering why this is happening. There are solenoids in place that should keep presoak/soap/wax from coming out of the tubing if you remove it from the manifold. Is that what's happening?

When I removed a piece of tubing there was a pretty steady flow coming back through it from the solenoid side. I reinstalled it quickly since it was the middle of the day and I only have 3 operational bays that stay pretty busy. My initial thought was the solenoid could be stuck open but I didn’t mess with it any more today.

 

[MEP001]

There must be a solenoid stuck open. Hopefully you can follow it back to the solenoid so you can tell which one it is. The aluminum coil retainer tends to corrode to the stem. I've had to take a Dremel to the top of some and cut a slot for a screwdriver to keep it from turning.