Check those vac reliefs on your waste tank

[Blue Monarch]

I get into a routine pretty easily. The problem with this is that I assume things are running as usual and things are fine. I definitely was out of the habit of monitoring my vac gauge.

To heat things up quicker, sometimes I'll block off the pool filter with a funnel to get my hot water. Well, I glanced over to the vac guage and it only read 10 when it should cut off at about 13. Well, long story short, I made the appropriate adjustment and saw a huge improvement in vac at the end of the wand.

The nut got loose gradually, so I never really noticed the loss of vac.

Embarrassing

 

[Becker]

Your an expert with "loose nuts" Dirk.

More than likely the nuts are not getting loose, but the springs are compressing over the years.

 

[Blue Monarch]

It's a loose nut Beck. It used to have two, but one wiggled off and I lost it. Now, the one can get loose pretty easy. I just got complacent and forgot to check it.

Years dosen't mean squat on my machine. I've probably got the record for lowest hours on a 2003 Boxxer. I ain't fessin' up what the number is either!

 

[Becker]

Rodger that.

yes if ya only have the one nut it won't take much time at all to start backing off.

 

[Charlie Lyman]

I'll have to check mine, thanks for the tip.

 

[bob vawter]

i totally LOCK DOWN my tank...why?

 

[Larry Cobb]

Dirk;

That is probably the most common reason for "long dry times".

With a lot of OEM valves, they just wear to the point where vacuum has dropped well below the factory setting.

I would set yours up to 14" at least.

We run @ 17" lift with the Sutorbilt 4MR blowers, on our Dynachem TM's

Larry

 

[Desk Jockey]

It used to have two, but one wiggled off and I lost it.

:shock:

 

[Becker]

It used to have two, but one wiggled off and I lost it.

:shock:

Whats worse?

Losing it, or having it get sucked up inside?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Losing it, at least you know the other one is in the waste tank. :wink:

 

[Blue Monarch]

I can't believe I typed that without knowing it.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Me neither! :mrgreen:

 

[Chris Sheldon]

Dirk;

That is probably the most common reason for "long dry times".

With a lot of OEM valves, they just wear to the point where vacuum has dropped well below the factory setting.

I would set yours up to 14" at least.

We run @ 17" lift with the Sutorbilt 4MR blowers, on our Dynachem TM's

Larry

Larry,

What kind of CFM's are you getting while loading up to 17"?

-Chris

 

[Mike Draper]

so in other words " don't lose your nut on the job" :shock:

 

[GeneMiller]

It's my understanding as the hg goes down the cfm's go up. Lift is more important for floods and cfm is more important for carpet cleaning. I'll have to test some strips to see which dries faster.

Gene

 

[Larry Cobb]

Larry,

What kind of CFM's are you getting while loading up to 17"?

-Chris

Chris;

The positive displacement blowers only lose a few percent of CFM @ 17" hg.

I'd have to check the engineering charts, but it is slight.

Larry

 

[Heathrow]

So what's the best way to check the lift - just close the hose off under full revs?
What should the lift be on a Performer 405?
My dry times have been slipping back a bit just lately.

 

[Jack May]

And what about a Legend XL? What can I get away with tightening up my nuts?

John

 

[Desk Jockey]

Heath check your manual but I thought is was 12-inches of mercury under full load for a 405, 14-inches for a regular performer.

 

[glenboy]

who sells vac relief valves other than those kunkle valves

 

[Heathrow]

Thanks Richard - manual says 13" so I'll check it today with the hose blocked off. I'm getting some 2.5" to use as a lead hose to the door as well so that may affect the lift I'm thinking.

 

[tman7]

Be sure your waste tank can take the extra lift. Ive destroyed the lid on my Hydramaster waste tank from setting my Hg to 15. If You can see the lid flex under load you may have a problem in the future.

 

[Heathrow]

Well, I checked the lift today with the engine on high revs. Lift when the hose was blocked off went up to around 10". With the wand (glided) stuck to the carpet the reading was around 7" and off the carpet down to between 4 and 5". I reckon I need an adjustment...?

 

[Able 1]

Yeah, I would say so! :shock:

 

[Greenie]

Be sure your waste tank can take the extra lift. Ive destroyed the lid on my Hydramaster waste tank from setting my Hg to 15. If You can see the lid flex under load you may have a problem in the future.

If you get "lid flex" in any tank, you can cure it by placing a Spacer in that Void, basically a pair of supports that rest on the tank baffles and don't allow the lid to suck in much, (envision some steel or alum. picture frames) this greatly extends the waste tank seals while allowing a high level of lift to be run.

As for vacuum levels, it matters not if your system is "set" to 17"hg under complete block off, if you never get anywhere near that level of RESTRICTION because you have a high airflow system and wand. If your machine shows 10"hg when your glided wand is on the carpet and raises slightly to 12"hg when you are making a wet pass and throwing down a wave of water (better seal at carpet), it will not matter that your system is "set" to 17"hg.
Any 'setting' above 13"hg will assure your vacuum is being utilized to it's fullest potential.

I have many guys who don't even notice their relief valve EVER open at 14"hg, because they are running #4 blowers with 2.5" plumbing (factory) and they are running 2.5" hose out 100' and their Dynamic vacuum reads 7"hg! and yet you feel INCREDIBLE vacuum at the wand....Using "resistance" at the machine gauge is a poor way to judge vacuum, but it's what we have.

 

[Mike Draper]

my butler won't start producing good heat until i hit 13 or more hg. The pro's and con's of having a high flow system is that most of the time it never gets close to 13. When i do stairs it jumps up to 14-15 and then the heat spikes at 240.

 

[KevinD]

i totally LOCK DOWN my tank...why?

Because your Genie don't spin fast enough to open any vac relief anyways.

 

[roro]

Well, I checked the lift today with the engine on high revs. Lift when the hose was blocked off went up to around 10". With the wand (glided) stuck to the carpet the reading was around 7" and off the carpet down to between 4 and 5". I reckon I need an adjustment...?

If your wand stuck to the floor at 7" you need a Charles Atlas course or your gauge needs fixing.

roro

 

[Heathrow]

Hiya Ross! What I meant was that the wand is square on the carpet - as locked down as it gets with a glide. I admit I haven't been to the gym much lately but I've still maintained a bit of brutus
I've adjusted the valve up a bit and haven't noticed a difference in suck or noise. The noise from the wand is howling as always so I seem to have plenty of airflow.

 

[glenboy]

where can u get vac relief valves other than kunkle