Capping a CoolFit Vent/Bleed Valve?

[Tubbybrew]

Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to cap a CoolFit Ventilating and Bleed valve? Preferably w/o giving GF any more of my money? Turns out when our chiller pump switches off... our headers drain back into the chiller. Thankfully, we found that out when we were only running water through the system to test but I don't want this to happen once expensive glycol is in there.

[Ted Briggs]

You need to install a check valve at the chiller! and a Strainer too.

[Tubbybrew]

I have a strainer in place on the return... a check valve would only be functional on the supply side as the liquid is flowing out of the chiller. The return needs to flow back into the chiller and if air is getting into the return side via the vent then it is going to eventually drain the entire header.

[Ted Briggs]

Those valves should not let air back in. Are they working correctly? I did put a manual valve directly under them so I can isolate for servicing.
Also- doesn't your circulation pump run all the time? I put a bypass in with a manual valve so that glycol is constantly circulating in the header, keeping it cold.

[Tubbybrew]

Those valves should not let air back in. Are they working correctly? I did put a manual valve directly under them so I can isolate for servicing.
Also- doesn't your circulation pump run all the time? I put a bypass in with a manual valve so that glycol is constantly circulating in the header, keeping it cold.

Our pump is circulating all of the time but if we loose power (which we will do at some point), we could loose all of our glycol. Hence the need to protect from that. I rigged up a pretty easy solution... cut a keg cap the diameter of the flange on the top piece and place it under the flange before screwing it back down... works like a charm. To vent, all I need to do is loosen the union nut and air will bleed out.

[dast]

Hi,
You should put an manual ball valve before the air vent. You bleed air when filling the system and after you got all out you can close the ball valve. This will prevent the header from draining back if you shut down your circulation pump or get a power outage
You can easily swap the air vent valve for a ball valve because they use the same valve nuts. After that you can solvent cement the air vent to the top of the ball valve.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Dan Strömberg
Cooling Market Segment Manager
Georg Fischer LLC
Phone: +1 714 368 4196
Fax: +1 714 368 4197
Mobile: +1 951 642 2339
Dan.Stromberg@georgfischer.com

GF Piping Systems
9271 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA. 92618
United States

https://www.gfps.com/us