air gap no check valve

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Don Metzinger

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Hi, I am having a problem with an air gap fixture, it is mounted on the sink with the dishwasher discharge line coming into the bottom and a line running from the gap to the disposer. The gap has some vent holes facing to the sink. The dishwasher ran the other day and there was water all over the counter and on the floor, determined it came from the air gap. When I took the gap apart there was a small piece of plastic that had obstructed the water flow and I found that there is no check valve inside so any thing that restricts or blocks the water flow with an air gap can be a problem. I thought that perhaps there was a check valve and it broke apart or off and went through the disposer. I got a new air gap but when I checked it there was no check valve in it. It seems to me that the air gap between the dishwasher and the disposer just creates a problem. The valve has always spurted some water into the sink when the dishwasher discharges. It would seem to be better to directly connect the dishwasher discharge line directly to the disposer and forget the air gap. I have used aav’s that mount under the sink and have a check valve but the design of these “air gaps†seem to be lacking. I would appreciate hearing what suggestions and thought you might have. Thanks - Don
 

Bob NH

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If there is any restriction in the line between the air gap and final drain, there will be water coming out of the air gap device.

Some people just fasten the dishwasher hose to the under side of the counter to create a hump in the hose, and don't use an air gap. It works fine.
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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dmetz said:
It would seem to be better to directly connect the dishwasher discharge line directly to the disposer and forget the air gap. I have used aav’s that mount under the sink and have a check valve but the design of these “air gaps†seem to be lacking.


First of all, you have to be smarter than the device you are dealing with. Any device that has moving parts (check valve) are more prone to failure than anything (air gap) that has no moving parts and uses the free atmosphere to provide the protection from the reversal of flow of contaminates.

AAV's is a cheaters way of avoiding the work to properly build a plumbing system correctly. Keep your day job, please.
 

Lakee911

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Don't some codes say that you have to have an air gap? I agree, the hump in the hose seems to be the norm.
 
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