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Problem with Hunter ICV

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deyre

Active Member

Posts: 11

1

Saturday, February 11th 2006, 1:43pm

Problem with Hunter ICV

Hi. I'm having trouble with 2 newly installed Hunter ICV valves. We have very high pressure - about 125psi. Previously on a different zone I went thru several consumer-grade valves before fitting the ICV which appeared to solve my problems. This time I installed the valves and found that both are weeping water from where the bonnet meets the body. I snugged down the bolts, didn't help. I removed the bonnet and replaced it, no help. To really make my day I went and checked the previously (last year) installed ICV and found it also weeping slightly from the join. Now, I know that my pressure is unreasonably high, but these valves are rated at 200+ psi. Any suggestions?
TIA

rand651522

Active Member

Posts: 11

Location: USA

2

Saturday, February 11th 2006, 2:47pm

[:)]Wow,thats a lot of pressure.Theres a lot I dont know about your system but first of all I would be thinking of a pressure Regulator at the very begining of the system so you can bring the system Heads and Valves and Piping down to a safe for the devices level.PVC is still just PVC.60 PSI is good for a system.
Hope That Helps

deyre

Active Member

Posts: 11

3

Saturday, February 11th 2006, 3:47pm

I agree there should be a regulator, and I may well end up fitting one. There are a couple of problems with doing this though. 12 zones, including the 2 with the new ICVs, are fed via a PVB and I can easily cut in and install a regulator here. Problem is that the whole system was built (long ago) using the high pressure, and if I regulate down to say 60psi I suspect many sprinklers will have inadequate range for full coverage. I may get away with reducing the pressure less than this, to say 100psi. Can't know for sure without trying this. The other problem is that the remaining 4 zones, including the earlier installed ICV, are fed from a line tapped into some unknown location on the incoming water line. I can probably live with letting that one drip :). Anyhow I've been attempting to avoid all this by trying to use a valve with a supposedly adequate psi rating. Doh.

More background: The 2 valves I replaced are Richdel ASV-type valves which some rocket-scientist installed below ground in a box. They occasionally detonate the vent cap, due to the pressure, so when I had a problem with one I decided to replace.


Thanks for input!
- de

rand651522

Active Member

Posts: 11

Location: USA

4

Saturday, February 11th 2006, 5:18pm

De Ok I looked up those valves and like you said should be no problem for them at that pressure.I dont know if you put anything on the area between the top-bottom and diaphram area,but one thing that has helped me in that situation is to use a good quality silicone diaphram grease and doesnt have to be a whole lot.But what Ive run into is for some reason the two surfaces dont quite match up even though looking at it you think its a perfect fit or no problem and its hard to tell unless you put it in a true flat surface.I had this with a Backflow that was brass and 4 bolts holding(also round like your valve) the two surfaces caused a flux in the surface and then I has this little pain of a leak till I figured it out(not relly flat)Used the grease and no more leak,But it wasnt a big leak either.
Hope That Helps

deyre

Active Member

Posts: 11

5

Sunday, February 12th 2006, 11:37am

The diaphragm grease sounds like a good idea. Do you know where I can get this? I don't see it on sprinklerwarehouse. (I had thought about trying permatex as a last resort, probably a bad idea :)
Thanks
David

rand651522

Active Member

Posts: 11

Location: USA

6

Sunday, February 12th 2006, 1:10pm

I would look at Pool supply if you cant find it at Home Depot,Lowes.But is is also like or the same as O Ring Lubricant.Also be sure to cross tighten a little at a time to try to insure your getting as true flat as you can.
Good Luck[:)]

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 3,606

Location: Metro NYC

7

Monday, February 13th 2006, 7:10am

From the design viewpoint, you really don't want that 125 psi at every zone valve, no matter what their claimed pressure rating. Depending on the design, you may have room to lose some extra pressure by adding a master valve to the system, and the pressure will stop there. Go ahead and use a good brass valve for the master. If you had some more pressure headroom, that master valve could be a pressure-regulating master valve. Having the pressure regulating option on a master valve is better than using a simple spring-loaded pressure reducing valve, so far as preserving system performance goes.

deyre

Active Member

Posts: 11

8

Monday, February 13th 2006, 8:30am

Hi wetboots. Thanks for the suggestion of a master valve. I've toyed with that idea before, as it will also limit the effects of other failures. However, again I am limited by the existing design - the lines that run out to the valves (in a number of locations) also feed hose bibbs. I don't really want those to shut off with the master. I suppose though at some point I need to bite the bullet and "just do it right".
Thanks!

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 3,606

Location: Metro NYC

9

Tuesday, February 14th 2006, 5:41am

How large is the property? Where (freezing northern climate, or warm southern area) is it? How many zones are there? What is the mainline pipe size? Water meter size? How many gpm in a zone? More details might result in more specific suggestions.

deyre

Active Member

Posts: 11

10

Tuesday, February 14th 2006, 2:21pm

Hi wetboots.
Property is 1 acre, in southern california - no freezing. 16 zones. Zone gpm is (for zones 1 to 16) 0, 31, 14, 19, 30, 45, 18, 25, 56, 20, 0, 45, 75, 30, 30, 17. (zone 1 is disabled, zone 11 is only 2 heads so too low to bother measuring). Zones 11 thru 15 are fed direct from incoming water main - appears to be 1.25in pvc at first valve, 1" at others. Other zones are through PVB near house. Probably installed at different times. Main line to/from PVB is 1.5inch. Water meter is labelled 1 to 1.5", line is definitely bigger than 1" so probably 1.5". Controller is Hunter ICC. Have 1 zone which is marginal pressure at end and cannot tolerate any pressure reduction. This is fixable as it is 26 heads over 200ft of 1" with a 12ft rise in height. Valve is at _far_ end with 1" line running out to valve. Could easily be fed mid-way by moving valve back to the 1.25" line. But it all consumes time :)
Thanks!
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