Air relief valve broken again

[Rodex]

Two years ago I replaced the air relief valve on my Pentair DE filter because of a small crack in the housing where the gauge screws in. This one now has a crack in the exact same place. I noticed the same part number on Inyo now looks completely different.

Anybody have a suggestion for a higher quality air relief valve?

 

[ajw22]

I think you are screwing the valve in too tight which is cracking it. Hand tight, don’t wrench it.

That Inyo valve is not from Pentair. It is from Custom Molded Products.

 

[Rodex]

The first one was on when I bought the house.

It also seems to be leaking out of the valve itself. Prior to the crack, if I closed the valve all the way, it would also leak. A comment on Inyo seems to have the same experience.

Maybe the OEM would be better than the CMP?

 

[ajw22]

Maybe the OEM would be better than the CMP?

The standard Pentair air relief valve has worked fine for me.

When I let air out and let the valve snap closed the spring seems a bit weak and sometimes leaks a bit. A bit of help with a turn to the right gets a good seal.

 

[Rodex]

Cool, thanks. Leslie’s has a Pentair, going to grab that today. Finger crossed my priming woes are almost resolved!

 

[mknauss]

Take the air relief valve apart at least once a year and lubricate the orings with pool lube. Very easy to do.

 

[Rodex]

Take the air relief valve apart at least once a year and lubricate the orings with pool lube. Very easy to do.

Is there another o-ring besides the one that mates with the filter housing?

 

[mknauss]

Is there another o-ring besides the one that mates with the filter housing?

Yes, two I believe. The valve comes apart. See the tabs on the round piece you turn to open the valve. You pull those tabs out and the valve spins apart.

 

[Rodex]

Making a list of all the o-rings to lube, I didn’t realize how many there are. If there’s nothing unique about them, I wonder if McMaster-Carr or someone has them for a lot cheaper? Then I can just order a set every so often.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Keep the o-rings out of your existing relief valve and save for the future if they're still good. Replacements can be found at ACE Hardware. See the following post:

Pool filter valve

Good afternoon, I noticed a couple of months ago that the valve on top of my pool filter does not easily lock back into place. Today after I cleaned the pump basket (not the filter), I turned the pump on and per the manual I open the valve to release the air, however I can not lock it back on. I...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Rodex]

Finally found an OEM in the area. The pressure is surprisingly low, though - 5psi at max speed when right before I changed it, it was 10psi (and is always around that). Maybe I punched a hole in a DE grid?