Noisy Single Check Valves

[AL66]

I’ve just spent all afternoon fitting a Damixa Saturn kitchen monobloc tap in place of an old monobloc tap. The plumbing system is cistern fed low pressure hot and mains pressure cold. The old monoblock keeps the hot and cold separate until the water emerges from the outlet, the new Damixa tap mixes the hot and cold in the tap so the instructions specify the fitting of single check valves in both supplies. I’ve fitted the single check valves as specified (required by the WRAC regulations I understand, plus it makes sense as you don’t want mains pressure cold forcing it’s way back up the cold as well as the theoretical risk of the hot being drawn into the main if this goes into negative pressure maybe caused by the fire brigade drawing a huge amount of water down the road).

Problem – both of these SCV’s cause a horrible screeching resonance through the pipework when the tap is used, the hot being worse than the cold (lower pressure?). The SCV’s are unbranded and were obtained from Travis Perkins. When I went to get them I asked for branded ones – Conex, Kuterlite or Pegler, they only had the unbranded ones. The guy behind the counter reckoned they would be OK as he hadn’t had any returned.

Has anyone else had this happen? Will changing them for a decent brand solve the problem? I’m puzzled as I’ve used unbranded garden taps with double check valves incorporated before and never had this problem.

 

[doitall]

I had one I fitted on a water softener, made a hell of a racket, swopped it and was ok

 

[AL66]

I had one I fitted on a water softener, made a hell of a racket, swopped it and was ok

Hi, what did you swap it for - a branded one? My problem isn't just a rogue valve as both do it (unless the whole batch is defective!). Ideally I wanted Conex followed by Kuterlite but I'm not too sure where to source these these days - any ideas.

Cheers

 

[doitall]

BSS or Pipeline.

swopped like for like, but i do prefer the brand names you mention

 

[brumylad]

why do you think its the SCV's making the noise ?

could it not equally be the service valves ?

Is the tap ceramic disk type

 

[doitall]

why do you think its the SCV's making the noise ?

could it not equally be the service valves ?

Is the tap ceramic disk type

I would guarantee it

 

[AL66]

why do you think its the SCV's making the noise ?

could it not equally be the service valves ?

Is the tap ceramic disk type

Because when you hold the SCV when then tap is on (as Baldrick might say) it's vibrating like a vibrating thing!!! Typing this upstairs now, someone just turned the tap on, it's horrible!

The service valves are the same ones that have been there for the last 12 years, can't see how they'd suddenly be the culprits. Yes, the tap is ceramic disc, but so was its predecessor, also in place for the last 12 years.

PS: The only identifying mark on the SCV's 'Eagle' on the capnuts, anyone used these before (and maybe wished they hadn't!)?

Cheers

 

[AL66]

Eventually tracked down Kuterlite K424 15mm single check valves at Pipe Center - 2 off obtained!

Have just spent another afternoon redoing the job again (had to cut out all the 15 day old pipework as there wasn't enough space to make new joints!), all finished - problem solved!!

The moral of this story seems to be don't invest time and effort installing rubbish, get the decent stuff for a few quid more.

 

[ChrisR]

I put 14 cheapies in a place. They all sounded horrid. But shut up after a couple of days

 

[AL66]

I put 14 cheapies in a place. They all sounded horrid. But shut up after a couple of days

Hi chrisR

These valves were in place for 15 days, yes they did quieten down a bit, but not fully. I think from your posts you're a plumber by trade?? I'm not, I just read the books , and over the years have done numerous jobs for friends and family which, without wanting to boast, are probably better than 90% of jobs you'd pay a Yellow Pages unknown for (I have the luxury of spending as much time as I want on a job, so like it to be right), this one was for my Mum, if she'd paid someone to do this and he'd used the same valves TP sold me the guy would have had major ear ache (mine was bad enough!) and a call back, which is effectivey what I've had, but I got my dinner too!!

If I was doing this lark for a living I think this is a mistake I'd only make once. I actually work in IT and it's not that unusual that I'm sat at work with some pesky IT problem wondering why I don't play with pipes for a living - at least you can see where they're leaking - god, I hate Windows!!!

Cheers