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Wed 4 Jun, 2014 05:09 am
I have a 2000 Rainsoft brass valve on a whole house carbon filter which I have kept alive with the TC digital timer upgrade. Now the "Push to bypass" black plastic plunger will no move freely between bypass and normal operation. I see that one of the end buttons spins off and I assume that you then push the plunger out to replace the O rings but it wont go past the half way point. What is the trick to getting the bypass plunger all the way out?
@GeorgeG,
Get a big pair of pliers and a mallet, I'll have it out in a jiffy.
@bobsal u1553115,
Once they are stuck like this can they be removed with out damage to the plastic plunger (slap valve)?
@GeorgeG,
My thought is yes in that I was told that if I needed to remove it "a couple of times", that the valve would not be damaged. Specifically the little cup style valve seal on the end.
Here's a website to get you started.
http://www.softenerparts.com/Rainsoft_Parts_Help_s/46.htm
@bobsal u1553115,
What is causing the stem to hang up? Are the o rings (there are 5 of them) swollen or torn or is the plastic stem broken/warped?
@GeorgeG,
algae, mineral build up, bacteria ..... who knows. Sometimes a rubber seal will swell. The parts are under $20, so if you've read up and feel confident ......
@bobsal u1553115,
The parts are unavailable otherwise I would lean in to it and get the parts out with authority.
@GeorgeG,
They have to be available! Another trick is to spray a bit WD-40 down into the body. WD-40 being silicon won't eat rubber or plastic.
"With authority", may I ask what your native language is? I'm thinking Chinese (Hong Kong) or Indian?
@bobsal u1553115,
Turns out that the trick is to flex the ends of the plastic plunger in all combinations to distort the line of the plunger in the bore as you rotate it every 90 degress and pull it out. It takes a while to find the combinations of positions to clear all 5 o-rings through each bore but it eventually comes out with finesse in one piece. Takes about 15 minutes in each direction.
Born and raised in Chicago.
@GeorgeG,
fifteen minutes is a lot of finesse for four inches.
@bobsal u1553115,
Turns out I did get the plunger out and replaced it with new o rings and again with a replacement plunger with new o rings. They kept seizing up after a few cycles so I "finessed" it back into the normal operation mode and created a set of gate valves in some pvc plumbing to do the job outside of the valve. While I as at it I incorporated complete isolation and some union fittings so that it it easy to take the filter out and maintain house water.
@GeorgeG,
If its invented by man, it can be maintained and repaired by another man.
Good job!
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