Auto fill plumbing

[Paulk]

I put on an auto fill on my AG pool last year. I built it into the deck, and plumbed it out. But now I realize it doesn't actually work as I had hoped. The problem is that being plumbed into the return injector line, I needed obviously to put in a check valve so that the pump wouldn't just push water into the auto fill canister. Turns out that of course the very low head pressure is not able to overcome the pressure needed to open the gate valve. I mean the head is probably only a few inches. An obvious solution would be to have a separate return injector, but I didn't plumb such a thing in in the first place and it would be a bit more difficult now. I'm curious to know if anyone has an idea of another way this might be accomplished.

 

[Chasarms]

If you necked down the water line into the return to 3/8 or 1/4," it might have enough pressure to open a check valve. Of course you'd have to find a check valve to match the size.

Have you looked around for a different check valve? They are made to all sorts of specs.

 

[Paulk]

Thanks for the thought. Yeah, I know they are made in a huge amount of specifications. I didn't use the spring plunger variety, assuming that the pressure would never be enough. I think I did neck it down to 1/2" but might be 3/4". I used a stainless metal "swinging gate" valve. Some of those have the gates at an angle, but this one I think as I remember is straight, and I mounted it in the horizontal position, so that it really shouldn't take much pressure to open it, but apparently it is too much.... It just fills the canister and overflows out the top of the canister, LOL. I'm not sure necking it down would work. Suspect it wouldn't actually increase the pressure? Yes, if a volume of water is flowing, and you step it down, it will increase the pressure momentarily, but if not flowing?
I suppose I COULD have an electric valve there, (a bit of a pain but probably possible) where the valve is closed during the operation of the pump, but opens completely when the pump is off......
Again, thanks Chasarms.
I didn't figure out really it wasn't working till I'd lost a few thousand gallons last week because a no hub fitting on my solar pool panels blew off.... Sort of funny except for the 3000 gallons of water loss.
paul