Puck Feeder Check Valve

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CreedenceTapes

CreedenceTapes

Well-known member
Nov 30, 2023
60
Tampa Bay Area
Pool Size
12000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
I have a Pentair Rainbow Model 300 trichlor feeder. (It only gets used when I'm out of town.)

I haven't had it dialed on in months, but there is a drip leak on the outlet side tubing at the pipe collar going into the return line. I ordered a well-reviewed (always taken with a grain of salt) kit of fitting replacements from Amazon.

I have some questions:

(1) I would think that if I'm getting leaking at the outlet fitting into the return line even though the feeder is dialed off, the control dial must not be closing off the flow properly. Right, wrong, or maybe?

(2) The replacement kit elbow does not have a check valve in it. It doesn't rattle and I can blow through it just as easily in both directions. I'm not even sure why it would need a check valve to function, but I gather from looking at the manual that the stock elbow has a check valve. What disasters could I invite by installing an elbow with no check valve?

(3) If my feeder in its current state (I bought my pool with the house and don't know what the previous owner did with it) has a check valve in that elbow, I don't think it's functioning. If one follows Pentair's instructions for filling the feeder, you're supposed to dial the control valve off, take the cap off, and fill the feeder with the pump running. The instructions specifically state that the check valve will prevent the feeder from filling with water. Well, it fills with water when I tried that method. But maybe that's part of a faulty dial. Thoughts?

Thanks, as always, to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.
 
Why not just save yourself the ongoing hassle of the inline feeder and just cut it out completely?
Use a floating chlorine tablet dispenser instead. Less than $20 on Amazon and you won't have to worry about the next issue the inline chlorine feeder has.
 
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proavia said:
Why not just save yourself the ongoing hassle of the inline feeder and just cut it out completely?
Use a floating chlorine tablet dispenser instead. Less than $20 on Amazon and you won't have to worry about the next issue the inline chlorine feeder has.
Click to expand...

I don't hate that idea. I may eventually do it. But it seems more difficult than fixing what's there. I trust my skills with Teflon tape and screwdrivers more than my skills with measuring and solvent welding new pipe.
 
CreedenceTapes said:
I don't hate that idea. I may eventually do it. But it seems more difficult than fixing what's there. I trust my skills with Teflon tape and screwdrivers more than my skills with measuring and solvent welding new pipe.
Click to expand...
Show us a pic and maybe someone will see an easy way to remove it and replace with PVC pipe.
 
CreedenceTapes said:
I have a Pentair Rainbow Model 300 trichlor feeder. (It only gets used when I'm out of town.)

I haven't had it dialed on in months, but there is a drip leak on the outlet side tubing at the pipe collar going into the return line. I ordered a well-reviewed (always taken with a grain of salt) kit of fitting replacements from Amazon.

I have some questions:

(1) I would think that if I'm getting leaking at the outlet fitting into the return line even though the feeder is dialed off, the control dial must not be closing off the flow properly. Right, wrong, or maybe?

(2) The replacement kit elbow does not have a check valve in it. It doesn't rattle and I can blow through it just as easily in both directions. I'm not even sure why it would need a check valve to function, but I gather from looking at the manual that the stock elbow has a check valve. What disasters could I invite by installing an elbow with no check valve?

(3) If my feeder in its current state (I bought my pool with the house and don't know what the previous owner did with it) has a check valve in that elbow, I don't think it's functioning. If one follows Pentair's instructions for filling the feeder, you're supposed to dial the control valve off, take the cap off, and fill the feeder with the pump running. The instructions specifically state that the check valve will prevent the feeder from filling with water. Well, it fills with water when I tried that method. But maybe that's part of a faulty dial. Thoughts?

Thanks, as always, to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.
Click to expand...
Without the check valve, the pressure difference in the inlet and outlet will be too low for there to be much flow through the feeder (which should be removed/not used and a floating feeder in the pool be the source of chlorine from tablets). A floater dispenses a bit of chlorine 24/7 as long as there are tablets in it. Your feeder only when the pump is running. When the pump stops it can be killing your equipment.
 
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1poolman1 said:
Without the check valve, the pressure difference in the inlet and outlet will be too low for there to be much flow through the feeder
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's very helpful.

1poolman1 said:
A floater dispenses a bit of chlorine 24/7 as long as there are tablets in it. Your feeder only when the pump is running.
Click to expand...

That much, at least, I was clear on.


1poolman1 said:
When the pump stops it can be killing your equipment.
Click to expand...

I don't doubt this, but I don't have enough knowledge with this stuff yet to figure out a mechanism of action for harm to the equipment. What's the extra risk to the equipment?
 
I don't figure it's ideal, but is there anything wrong with just bypassing the thing? That is, just running tubing directly from one hole in the pipe to the other?

I did it temporarily today while I was replacing the check valve and everything seemed to function fine.
 
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