Autorol 255/400, no ball in check valve

My local dealer told me that he removes the check ball because it causes problems when it gets stuck. He said the system works fine without it. The morning after a regeneration we hear air in the lines when we use the toilet, sink or shower for the first time that day.

I am guessing the air problem is related to the missing check ball and can it do any harm? I wonder if the air passing through the system might cause problems when passing through the resin tank, loss of resin, etc.

Thanks,

Copeda

My guess is the local dealer knows more than the factory engineers that designed the system... "A man has to know his limitations." Dirty Harry

copeda said:

My local dealer told me that he removes the check ball because it causes problems when it gets stuck. He said the system works fine without it. The morning after a regeneration we hear air in the lines when we use the toilet, sink or shower for the first time that day.

I am guessing the air problem is related to the missing check ball and can it do any harm? I wonder if the air passing through the system might cause problems when passing through the resin tank, loss of resin, etc.

Thanks,

Copeda

Click to expand...

That is the air check, and you're right and the 'dealer' doesn't know what he's doing. Allowing it to suck air can lead to problems and it traps air in the resin tank until the next regeneration's backwash in the next regeneration.

I've been in the business for 21 years and have a lot of experience servicing Autotrol valves and haven't seen stuck air check balls except in valves that have been removed from service and the water evaporates out of the check reservoir. Brine refill water flow (it has full main water pressure on it) would unstick a ball on a valve that is in service. The previous version of the 255, the 155, you couldn't get the ball out without busting the reservoir, and the all didn't stick in them.

IMO the ball also more or less controls the flow rate of the brine draw and without that the unit is probably finished drawing brine before it should be.