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Constant Dead ending and or low pressure. Help.

Spartan

Well-known member
Messages
801
Location
Greenwich
Hi Lads,

i need some helping  out as as to what my problem is exactly and best way to sort it. (Title pretty much explains it)

ive just added a second hose reel, pump, controller etc and when starting it either has low pressure or dead ends every 10 seconds or so.

the other reel etc is all working fine. 

The hose isn’t kinked, it’s a full tank of water but the pressure is about half or 30% of what the main one I use. Also it dead ends continually!

Eventually it improves but after any sort of break in the work it starts playing up again.

heres a couple of pics of the system (it’s just a delivery system, no RO or DI)

The problem one is the one with the clear hosing.

Any suggestions or help would be great fully received - it’s driving me crackers.

a098C57F2-76E0-4CF8-A161-51AC8126192A.jpegr

F70D6D6C-632F-4857-8D85-B5B21822411F.jpeg

 
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Sounds like a calibration issue to me. What controllers are you using as they aren't shown?


It's the digital ones, just says  'eco Flo regulator' purchased from daqua.

It's the same as my other one just branded differently.

Both controllers are calibrated to the same amount and only one is playing up.

The controllers aren’t visible because they’re behind a black panel.

What about the low pressure even when I'm not having a dead ending problem?

25CCA1F5-5623-48E0-9D28-A1731C9BEB15.jpeg

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Lads,

i need some helping  out as as to what my problem is exactly and best way to sort it. (Title pretty much explains it)

ive just added a second hose reel, pump, controller etc and when starting it either has low pressure or dead ends every 10 seconds or so.

the other reel etc is all working fine. 

The hose isn’t kinked, it’s a full tank of water but the pressure is about half or 30% of what the main one I use. Also it dead ends continually!

Eventually it improves but after any sort of break in the work it starts playing up again.

heres a couple of pics of the system (it’s just a delivery system, no RO or DI)

The problem one is the one with the clear hosing.

Any suggestions or help would be great fully received - it’s driving me crackers.

aView attachment 18907r

View attachment 18906
what a mess!.......i wouldnt have hoses,wires and connectors right over the battery like that......

itll be your CALIBRATION.......SET IT HIGHER.....

 
It's the digital ones, just says  'eco Flo regulator' purchased from daqua.

It's the same as my other one just branded differently.

Both controllers are calibrated to the same amount and only one is playing up.

The controllers aren’t visible because they’re behind a black panel.

What about the low pressure even when I'm not having a dead ending problem?

View attachment 18908


I am a little confused regarding what you say that they are both set at the same calibration. My gut is telling me that you are mixing up flow rate with calibration/pressure settings.

Follow the auto-calibration instructions on Youtube and see if there is a difference. Don't forget to connect your pole up to your hose reel and select a flow rate on the controller you find best to work at first.



.

 
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My suspicion is it's likely to be one of the following:

1/  Air in the system. You could try taking a single suction hose from the tank, through the filler aperture to the pump, remove the hose going into the reel, switch the pump on and if necessary suck the water through. Keep it going until there's no spluttering of air and re-connect to the reel.. If that works reconnect the original hose making sure that all connections are absolutely airtight.

2/ As other have said "calibration", though it seems strange as the calibration is set the same as the other pump.

Good luck, and please let us know what the problem was when it's sorted.

 
It's the same as my other one just branded differently.

Both controllers are calibrated to the same amount and only one is playing up.
As above check for air in the system, but regarding controllers and Cal, on my old system the highest my Cal was ever set was 39 on my new system I had fitted last year my Cal is currently around 69, connect everything up and turn water on with water coming out of the brush head and if you get a pressure drop increase the Cal mine would it can take a few minutes of just standing and waiting for low pressure/ flow to reduce and increase the Cal until the right setting has been found and water flows from the brush head as expected. 

 
My suspicion is it's likely to be one of the following:

1/  Air in the system. You could try taking a single suction hose from the tank, through the filler aperture to the pump, remove the hose going into the reel, switch the pump on and if necessary suck the water through. Keep it going until there's no spluttering of air and re-connect to the reel.. If that works reconnect the original hose making sure that all connections are absolutely airtight.

2/ As other have said "calibration", though it seems strange as the calibration is set the same as the other pump.

Good luck, and please let us know what the problem was when it's sorted.
I'm having a problem with @Spartan's comment " What about the low pressure even when I'm not having a dead ending problem?"

If he's not having a dead end problem then he isn't having a pressure problem.

If as he says both controllers are calibrated the same and he has reduced flow with the new controller, then the flow rate could be down to the hose. We have 2 reels on the van, 1 with microbore and the other minibore. There is a noticeable difference in flow rate between the two on the same controller using rather cold water atm.

If air was being sucked into the system it would manifest itself with spluttering as the brush end. He should be able to see if air is getting into the system as he is using clear plastic pipe on that pump.

My Lad just can't understand the difference between flow and pressure with regard to our Varistreams. He's not the only one as the calibration topic is raised often on the forums.

He continually says my pressure is too high when he is talking about my flow rate setting.

 
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Well? Any feedback?


Hi all,

thanks for all the suggestions and advice.

i think most most of the problems have been ironed out. (Couldn’t report back much until I had used the system with 2 operators at the same time. I only do 1 day a week with 2 of us)

Tried the auto calibrating which I had done on previous occasions and that definitely helped with that issue. It auto calibrated it to 61 which I thought was a bit high considering the one with no issues is only set to 35.....

The following day the DEing returned.....autocalibrated it and it set itself to 29..... quite a difference in numbers and not sure why or what that means.

i worked the rest of the week on my own using the trusted pump/controller which I’ve had a few years 

On Wednesday we were using  2 operators and it started to play up again.

Re-autocalibrated it and that sorted the DEing issue again but the pressure was even lower then normal.

stripped the whole pole down and run water through and saw that the push fit connections near the univalve was leaking. Fitted stem barbs and they held solid.

Managed to work the whole day with no more real issues. I’m hoping that it will no longer be temperamental. Fingers crossed for next week.

Out of  interest , does anyone know why the calibration is so different on the 2 systems ?

1 sets at 35 and the other sets at 61? Both reels are using microbore hose. Both have a flow rate of about 25.

Also, if any air is noticed in the pipes as someone had suggested - would I have noticed a leak? in other words, if air is getting in then water must be getting out?

 
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Hi all,

thanks for all the suggestions and advice.

i think most most of the problems have been ironed out. (Couldn’t report back much until I had used the system with 2 operators at the same time. I only do 1 day a week with 2 of us)

Tried the auto calibrating which I had done on previous occasions and that definitely helped with that issue. It auto calibrated it to 61 which I thought was a bit high considering the one with no issues is only set to 35.....

The following day the DEing returned.....autocalibrated it and it set itself to 29..... quite a difference in numbers and not sure why or what that means.

i worked the rest of the week on my own using the trusted pump/controller which I’ve had a few years 

On Wednesday we were using  2 operators and it started to play up again.

Re-autocalibrated it and that sorted the DEing issue again but the pressure was even lower then normal.

stripped the whole pole down and run water through and saw that the push fit connections near the univalve was leaking. Fitted stem barbs and they held solid.

Managed to work the whole day with no more real issues. I’m hoping that it will no longer be temperamental. Fingers crossed for next week.

Out of  interest , does anyone know why the calibration is so different on the 2 systems ?

1 sets at 35 and the other sets at 61? Both reels are using microbore hose. Both have a flow rate of about 25.

Also, if any air is noticed in the pipes as someone had suggested - would I have noticed a leak? in other words, if air is getting in then water must be getting out?
Air can get in, but you won't always see any water at all or it may may the slightest of drips which you won't see, depending on where the issue is, every month if I remember I check all fittings on my system to make sure they are nipped up tight, last week the jubilee clips on the system hose need 2 turns to be fully nipped up and the difference was noticeable instantly 

 
Air can get in, but you won't always see any water at all or it may may the slightest of drips which you won't see, depending on where the issue is, every month if I remember I check all fittings on my system to make sure they are nipped up tight, last week the jubilee clips on the system hose need 2 turns to be fully nipped up and the difference was noticeable instantly 


Thanks Iron,

I’ll have to add that monthly check into my pole maintenance schedule.

 
Thanks for keeping us informed.

Nearly all of my problems with flow or pressure have been due to air in the system.

1/ Air getting sucked in on a joint.

Usual remedy : remake the joints, having preheated the (good quality) hose to soften it. This allows for a much tighter, more waterproof, joint seal, without stripping threads on fitting or hoseclip as the softer hose will allow a better, deeper bite. If using Jubilee clips consider doubling up. It's unusual to get water leaking from the suction side because, it is the suction side and so there is no pressure trying to get out. Also water molecules are larger than air molecules so don't leak quite as easily.

2/  Water draining back down into tank. Especially when the level is low and/or the system hasn't been used for a while : weekend, holiday etc.

Remedy in my case : nylon non-return valve fitted low on the tank outlet hose. Disconnect hose at reel, switch on pump and if necessary suck water through to assist pump. Reconnect once the water is running properly.

Another symptom of air is: a fast drumming vibration at the pump.

Sometimes I have to reset the calibration, usually at seasonal change of temperature.

 
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I’ve been finding quite a few times with people having this problem is the new 6mm hose reel hose they have purchased.  Run it on 8mm hose and works fine.

 
what a mess!.......i wouldnt have hoses,wires and connectors right over the battery like that......


I appreciate it might look like a mess, but it’s pretty neat really.

i need plenty of slack on the wires so I can remove the front panel.

once screwed on everything is tucked away nice and neat and you can’t snag a wire when you’re dragging something out if the van.

Thanks for the suggestions regarding calibration. ?

B9B7D67E-6905-4750-B698-42C6A760C5AB.jpeg

 
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