Check valves

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
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Jack Innes
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Check valves

Post by Jack Innes » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:10 pm

Question; At the feed water penetration would a spring lift check, as my system now has, or a swing check valve be best?
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DetroiTug
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Re: Check valves

Post by DetroiTug » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:54 pm

Your experience may differ if you chose to go that route, but I had a 1/2" United spring check valve at the boiler and that is the one that failed. Repeatedly cleaned it and it really wasn't even fouled, Teflon seat in good shape etc, it just would not seat reliably. Replaced it with a swing check valve mounted horizontally and have not had any issues so far.

I ran into a guy at a meet with a boat he had just bought and was having the same problem. I looked over and it was the exact same model of valve that I replaced. It was one of those "well there's your problem" instances.

-Ron
Jack Innes
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Re: Check valves

Post by Jack Innes » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:32 pm

Ron,
Thank you. I bought this boat this fall from an estate so I did not choose the setup & cannot question the builder or last owner since they are both no longer with us.

I favour the swing valves as well, I cannot see gravity failing before a Teflon disc & a tiny spring.

I really appreciate the input in answer to my many questions. I am somewhat comfortable around my 20 hp Case engine but all of the tiny & seemingly feeble bits of this boat deserve a full understanding before safely operating it.

Thank you all again,
Jack
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fredrosse
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Re: Check valves

Post by fredrosse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:58 pm

I also have had better service with ordinary swing check valves. They are much less prone to "hang up" than the lift check types. Spring loaded ball check valves also work well, but are more expensive, and not really needed for 100 - 150 PSI service.
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barts
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Re: Check valves

Post by barts » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:11 pm

I think I've had every sort of check valve misbehave at one point or another.... fine screen filters are really important esp. if you're near pine needles. Pine needles get everywhere; they happily go through even small diameter copper tubing and love to prevent checks from sealing....

For higher speed service in home build pumps, I find lift checks with a limit screw to be the most reliable. I've used spring loaded ball checks, but some have gotten noisy.

I use a angle lift check w/ teflon seat for boiler service and have had no issues for 17 years... but I keep the pine needles out.

- Bart
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Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
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fredrosse
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Re: Check valves

Post by fredrosse » Fri Dec 20, 2013 3:44 pm

Bart, I was not aware that pine needles had such devious emotional tendencies.

Are they related in any way to a Mr. Murphy, who seems to lurk about for any opportunity to foul things up in most peculiar ways, which are not anticipated by we steam boaters. I once had a diessel engine almost destroyed, and flooded a building with diessel oil because I had rightly installed a low crankcase oil level cutoff, but had not thought it necessary to installed high oil level cutoff!
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barts
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Re: Check valves

Post by barts » Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:05 pm

fredrosse wrote: Are they related in any way to a Mr. Murphy, who seems to lurk about for any opportunity to foul things up in most peculiar ways, which are not anticipated by we steam boaters. I once had a diessel engine almost destroyed, and flooded a building with diessel oil because I had rightly installed a low crankcase oil level cutoff, but had not thought it necessary to installed high oil level cutoff!
Yup... Mr Murphy dumped some pine needles into the hotwell one windy day... they made their devious way into both the engine driven and manual feed pumps. After a frustrating weekend of repeated pump hang-ups and cleaning of check valves, I was able to disassemble the plumbing and get them all blown out. A nice fine strainer has protected the intake from the hotwell, through-hull and water tank ever since w/o incident.

- Bart
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Bart Smaalders http://smaalders.net/barts Lopez Island, WA
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artemis
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Re: Check valves

Post by artemis » Mon Dec 23, 2013 9:52 pm

barts wrote:... For higher speed service in home build pumps, I find lift checks with a limit screw to be the most reliable. I've used spring loaded ball checks, but some have gotten noisy.

I use a angle lift check w/ teflon seat for boiler service and have had no issues for 17 years... but I keep the pine needles out.

- Bart
I enthusiastically second this. I've used angle lift check valves (with a limit screw where needed - like feed pumps) for over twenty years and never had problems. 'Course I also have a strainer at my hotwell and makeup water tank.
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http://www.steamboating.org
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Lopez Mike
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Re: Check valves

Post by Lopez Mike » Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:16 am

Bart gave me his old Hypro feedwater pump to rebuild and use. It worked fine once I got that stinking pine needle out of there.

Mike
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