Just another update - The VRV is still dripping today, even with the red-handled valves closed. Quite interesting. I am hoping it is just residual water from yesterday not fully draining. The drip is very small, maybe one drop per 10 minutes.Just an update - Went and tried a few things:
- Red valves OPEN, Solar CLOSED, RPM at 1400 ran without a drip on VRV
- Red valves OPEN, Solar CLOSED, RPM bump and re-prime, it had a steady flow of water out of VRV during re-prime.
- Red valves OPEN, Solar Open, Re-prime had minimal drip, definitely no steady flow of water out of the VRV.
- Red valves CLOSED, Solar CLOSED, Re-prime had no drip. As expected, no water was being sent to roof.
So now that I am getting a pretty steady stream of water out of the VRV with the solar closed during pump prime, I am going to try and remove the VRV and clean it. If that doesn't work, will try replacing it. If that still doesn't suffice, a check-valve install is likely necessary on the return line.
Will keep yall posted! If any one cares
Vacuum Relief Valve Leaking
- Thread starter Dabrodas
- Start date
I plan to! Just finding time with the kiddos running around and I am also trying to learn and understand how all my pool equipment operates. I'm also hoping I can save/clean the VRV first. I'm also hoping my documentation of this helps some one in the future dealing with similar issues.
Ok, I see why you said this as it is a very simple device to remove and look at LOL. I understand now the spring and 'ball' can't be taken out and really can't clean the device either. Makes more sense to me now that the spring tension likely just gives out over time and loses the seal. I just ordered the same one from Ebay and should be here next week.
I did some tests too while I had it removed. With the red handles OPENED, solar CLOSED and at low RPM, the water level does indeed creep up from the black valve and start to fill the feed line. So that little drainage hole in the black valve is what gets water up into the VRV and starts my drip. Kind of what I expected.
At a low enough RPM, say 1400RPM on my system, the water actually doesn't reach the VRV as there is enough head pressure to keep it down below it by about a 1/2". It falls just a half inch or so short of the VRV (could reach my finger in and feel water). When the pump primes, it definitely fills up the entire feed line through the drain hole in the black valve, then the drip occurs and will keep occurring even at low RPM, as it is continually getting fed water through that small drain hole. Very interesting but aligns with my theory that - at a low enough RPM makes sense that no water would actually get up the feed line to the VRV. An extremely high RPM would be enough pressure on the VRV to close the seal, even from that little drain hole in the black valve. Everything else in the middle just caused a leak.
So lets hope the new VRV has a much higher spring force, that closes the VRV seal!
What was the cost?
The one I linked to from Home Depot is only $10 and it would probably work just as well or better.
$30 (had some Ebay credits). I read about corrosion possibly affecting the brass ones and the 3/4" ones were about $20, so just pulled the trigger on the heliocoil one. I'm also scared of change? Haha, thanks again for all the help - If the heloicoil one doesn't work properly, I will likely try the EASTMAN one.
Well good news - Got the new VRV, wrapped the threads with some pipe tape and running beautifully at 1400 RPM today. No leaks, no drips, nothing. So for any one else that is new - The Vacuum Relief Valves must just have a life span due to the spring tension. Very SIMPLE replacement process, depending on where your VRV is located.
Thanks for all the help on this forum and confidence to work on our pool plumbing!
Thanks for all the help on this forum and confidence to work on our pool plumbing!