upside down check valves

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

Ive made plenty of check valves but all used gravity to allow the ball to fall and seat – I now need an inline check valve running from my side tank down to the water pump, (the one on the pump itself isnt perfect, so I need to stop water going back to the tank. This will need to be sat against gravity, my question is, do I simply put a spring behind the ball so that it will reseat in any orientation?

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I've made them for lubricators and just put a weak spring in them you will want stainless or bronze for the spring if its for water

Edited By JasonB on 06/01/2013 17:34:00

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

Jason….as it happens, I am just about to make the lubricator/steam pipe for a gauge 1 loco. One set of plans does not show a check valve and another shows the ball but not a spring. It is aligned horizontally. If I include a spring, should it be positioned at the lubricator side of the ball or the steam pipe side. I would appreciate your advice.

Mick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Spring should be on the cylinder side pushing the ball back against it seat. This stops the oil dripping past the ball when there is no steam pressure.

J

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

Understood, thanks.

Mick

[julian atkinsParticipant @julianatkins58923]

hi fizzy,

i have never heard of the need of a second checkvalve on the water supply to a water pump (i presume axle pump), and for efficient operation of the pump the water inlet side valve as well as the outlet side valve should be as close to the pump bore as possible. if the water inlet valve is leaking then the only correct way of dealing with this problem is to remake the water inlet valve. usually the seat is a separate component that can be unscrewed, and the seat easily remade or re-machined, burnishing the seat if possible. very little lift of the ball is required on axlepumps and the like. sometimes the ball will 'stick' if the loco hasnt been used for awhile… a longer supply pipe with a 'U' bend in it or coil will avoid the pipe and ball seat drying out.

i would never fit a second spring loaded ball valve to the water inlet of an axle pump on a loco.

cheers,

julian

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

ok..remade reamed seats, seems to work, no leaks but when i put my thumb over the end of the outlet there isnt much spraying out??

[Author]

Posts