Best way to add check valve to chlorinator

[pwk813]

Hi - I was seeking advice as to best way to add a check valve inline with chlorinator. Since there’s no check valve, chlorinator fills with air every evening when pump turns off. There’s not much room to work with.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pjt]

Trichlor isn't a sustainable method of daily chlorination. I would suggest removing the tab feeder and ball valve and install a SWCG in its place.

 

[1poolman1]

Hi - I was seeking advice as to best way to add a check valve inline with chlorinator. Since there’s no check valve, chlorinator fills with air every evening when pump turns off. There’s not much room to work with.

Thanks in advance.

A check valve will not prevent the plumbing from draining down, nor will it protect your filter from the damage that feeder can cause. SWG is the best thing you could install in its place.

 

[Dave31410]

What is wrong with it filling with air? Does it fill back up when the pump turns on?

 

[sktn77a]

Since there’s no check valve, chlorinator fills with air every evening when pump turns off. There’s not much room to work with.

I don't think a check valve is the issue. Air is getting into the system when the pump is off..Find out where the air is coming from.

 

[Newdude]

+1. A leak on the pressure side would probably spurt water when running. A leak on the suction side would probably not be noticeable when running and allow the system to drain with the pump off.

Is the filter filling with air also ?

To answer the question, although not the problem, think beyond what you see and new options present themselves such as these 2.

 

[pwk813]

Thanks for the feedback. The air getting in the chlorinator seems to cause it to stop chlorinating. Air must be coming in on suction side so I will look at that this weekend. I will also look at SWG

 

[proavia]

It would be better to cut the chlorinator out of the system and use a floater in the pool if you will be using tablets.
Use of tablets isn't sustainable as use of tablets continue to increase the CYA.

Have a read thru Pool Care Basics

 

[1poolman1]

Thanks for the feedback. The air getting in the chlorinator seems to cause it to stop chlorinating. Air must be coming in on suction side so I will look at that this weekend. I will also look at SWG

The corrosive "soup" that can back-flow into the filter from that feeder will damage the endcaps on the cartridge in the filter when the system turns off.
A feeder like that only adds chlorine when the system is running. It is better to get a floating chlorinator and put the tablets in that.

 

[dfwnoob]

The best way to fix that chlorinator is to yeet it directly into into the bin and cap off the ports.

As said above, if you want to continue to use tabs - which is highly inadvisable - use a floating UFO-looking thing. Or use liquid chlorine (much better). Or install a SWCG (most betterer).

 

[sande005]

Sigh! This is essentially a rebranded Rainbow 320 (similar to what I did battle with for decades). See this YouTube video for more than anyone really needs to know about how it works, and how to fix:

In sum - it is NOT supposed to fill with water. It has a check valve in the bottom, if it fills, the check valve is bad. The only tablets to use are ones that are 99% CL, with no additives. The cheaper ones found at WalMart, Costco, Home Centers, etc. all contain a high percent of binders which quickly gum up the check valve. Even the expensive ones from pool stores that have added "magic" water clarity improvers, etc. will gum it up. I used to order check valves by the 3 pack a couple of times a season....maybe only needed 2 per year if I got the really "pure" tablets after I found this out.
So while your "problem" is not a problem, it has uncovered a different one. that needs to be fixed to get it working correctly.

I'm a slow learner...but converting to salt water after decades of fighting tablet/feeder issues has made me a convert. It will literally pay for itself VERY quickly, just in tablet costs alone. I don't know what to do with myself since the care and feeding of the pool has dropped from many hours per week to about 1/2 to 1 hr....

 

[Newdude]

The only tablets to use are ones that are 99% CL, with no additives.

Chlorine is a gas. It is bound by water, calcium or CY(acid) when it comes to poolcare. The most common binder for pucks is CYA and the acid leeching out without flow is what destroyes the check valves/heaters.

We have even seen skimmers or skimmer plumbing destroyed/melted from using pucks in the skimmers.

 

[sande005]

OK - to be precise, "99% Trichloro-S-Triazinetrione", like these:
Bioguard Basic

Not like this:
Clorox Blue

Whatever the "other" is, it creates a scale, and very gummy "goo", in the chlorinator/check valves that is impervious to Muriatic or any other household/pool chem to remove. Sometimes one can restore partial function to the check valve with lots of work with tweezers, tiny bent wires/probes, flushing, etc. to try and get the "goo" out. But it never, ever works fully. The "better" tabs are "better" - but it still builds up, just takes a little longer.

x2 on the skimmer warning - the previous owner/originator of my pool did that on their pool store advice, and I did too (he gave me a lesson), before I got my chlorinator. Which is why I have a heavy epoxy/fiberglass patch lining the inside of the skimmer. I expect it to fail within a few years, and then I get to bust up concrete and dig a big hole.