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One way valve leak?


cane

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Working on my new 240 build and I can’t stop this valve from leaking. Put plumbers tape on it and replaced the o-ring and it still leaks. Looks to be coming from where the o-ring is. Please help

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Edited by cane
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Hard to say as the pictures are a lot alike. Is the leak coming from the underside of the coupling (between the white threaded part and the white collar) or is it coming from the upper side (where the threaded ring meets the check valve)? Did the white couplings at either end come with the check valve? (That is, were the they purchased together a larger assembly?)Could the gap between the upper and lower pipes be just a tad too big, leading to a poor seal inside the lower coupling?

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Are those regular pvc unions split in half?

That was one thought that I had. Either that, or part of some other plumbing assembly that wasn't intended to fit the check valve. If they are, then the proper mating surface may not be there. 

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Yep, but if they were designed to fit, I would recommended trying thread sealer.

Agreed. A little pipe dope works great on big threaded joints that leak. Not sure it's leaking at the threads, though.

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Hey Tom,

 

Yes, the leak is coming from the underside of the coupling (between the white threaded part and the white collar)

No cracks in the setup that I can find and more than enough room to move pipe up and down. But I am considering putting in a ball valve at this point.

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Yep, but if they were designed to fit, I would recommended trying thread sealer.

Tried it and that did stop the leak at the threads before the leak at the o-ring.

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Hey Tom,

 

Yes, the leak is coming from the underside of the coupling (between the white threaded part and the white collar)

No cracks in the setup that I can find and more than enough room to move pipe up and down. But I am considering putting in a ball valve at this point.

Does the plumbing (top and bottom pipes) have enough play so that tightening the couplings can draw both sides in completely to ensure that the mating faces are making full contact when the nuts are tightened down? (it sounds like there is from what you're saying.) Try backing off the white couplings (the threaded ring) on both sides and seeing if there's any gap between the check valve faces and the mating surfaces of the union adapter. Also check to make sure that all the faces are clean and parallel with the mating face. If necessary, put a thin coat of silicone lubricant (not silicone sealant, but something like an o-ring lubricant) on the o-rings and on the threaded collar. Sealing comes from pressure between the two faces compressing the o-ring so I'm guessing that teflon is probably not appropriate for these threads because their purpose is to draw the two sides together and put them under compression. It may be that all you need is just a fraction of a turn more on that nut. 

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Thanks Tom. I think the silicone lubricant is the only thing that will work. As I have now tried everything else you mentioned. But in the end I think it’s the part as I have one on my smaller tank with the same problem. I just ignored it as it sat right over the sump.

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Reading through the BRS reviews, it appears to be a o-ring design flaw. Seems like replacing with a thicker o-ring might fix the problem.

 

Thanks for that tip

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Reading through the BRS reviews, it appears to be a o-ring design flaw. Seems like replacing with a thicker o-ring might fix the problem. 

That's good to know. If the original o-ring has a cross section that's too small, then added pressure won't seal it. You think that the source would make the change and fix the defect....

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I had the EXACT same issue with the exact same valve purchased from BRS. It is actually a manufactiring flaw in the ckear plastic welhere the plastic is molded together. If you run your finger along the thread vertically, you will feel where the plastic sticks up. This prevents a water tight seal. I am thinking the manufacturer had a batch made like this. Teflon tape will not work. I called BRS and they immediately sent out a new valve. The new ine works perfect! No leaks!

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