Foot-valve Maintenance.

Foot-valve Maintenance.

It is a good idea to at least once a year to perform a routine maintenance check of your foot valve.

Why you may ask if the valve is working why check it? Good question and the answer is simple take for instance you use a strainer & mesh to cover your valve. The valve is protected by the strainer or mesh from larger material entering the system, but what happens is the micro material enters the valve and can bring about a problem. First it forms a silt layer on the O ring, the rubber seal of the plunger stop, the rubber seal on the plunger itself & makes the plunger shaft sticky. Over a period of time you end up with a leaking valve.

To fix the trouble is simple at home and a pain in the as$ out in the field. Unless you have a vice with you!

Step one, remove the O ring from the plunger stop and give it a good clean.



Step two, clean the inner rubber seal on the plunger stop & replace the O ring.



Step three; clean the rubber seal on the plunger making sure there is no grit behind the seal.



Step four; give the plunger shaft a gentle sand back with fine sandpaper, so it is smooth all over including the edges.

Step five; replace all the parts back in the housing, but make sure you also test the strength of the return spring if it is weak you may need to give it a gentle pull just a tad. That should do the trick. Cheers
© JB 06/03/2011

Thanks James101 for that info timely indeed as we all head out to the gold as the heat goes away!!

Thought i would bump it back to the top there is some good information here.
cheers
James

I don't actually use a foot valve!
The flapper valve in my pump does the job admirably! I'm guesses that the smaller pumps don't have the valve in the pump??

Good point mate. Even though my pump has a non-return valve fitted inside the pump’s housing and is term "Self Priming". But at times this valve can have a tendency to leak over a period of time to prevent ongoing problems. I run a foot valve which will ensure me that I will have no loss of prime and gives me trouble free operation while out in the field. Most small pump’s today are Self Priming that is you must fill the pump housing with water before starting the pump. But there are Non Self Priming pumps as well you can tell these pumps by the lack of a non-return valve fitted inside the pump’s housing. These pumps must have a foot valve, to prim such a pump you must not only fill the pump housing but the pickup as well.

Cheers
James


© J.B 2013
I withhold permission for this article to be cut and pasted or duplicated onto any other web site. ( without my express permission !)