tinaco problems

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
71
1
8
hey fellow dr1 amigos

a quick question. shouldn't my tinaco have two check valves? one by the exit of the tinaco? (i have and can see) the direction facing away from the tank into the house. the other one i can not find , or there is not another. my friends who are local Dominicans say that there is only one check valve used here. How is this possible?

the problem i am having and is only recently is that when the water from the town is shut off the tinaco drains back to the source and the tinaco is empty in about an hour. so what i have been doing is shutting off the valve on the main line after they shut the water off. Should there not be another check valve somewhere in this vicinity not allowing the water to enter the city lines?
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
0
The check valve should be in the pipe that runs TO the tinaco, so when there is no water pressure from the main it shuts off and the tinaco doesn't drain. A check valve on the pipe FROM the tinaco makes no sense to me, as water is never going back up from the house to the tinaco.
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
Many systems I've seen here have one pipe connecting to the tank that serves as a feed and a supply. Generally, only one check valve is used and is installed shortly after the pump. A gate valve is generally installed close to the tank.
 

CARIBETORNO

New member
May 3, 2013
263
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you would not need one on the down stream side. I guess depending on what you have it connected to. Most back flow preventers (check valve) are meant to prevent contaminating the water supply. So yes there should be a valve to stop the flow back to the crappy city water lines... They do not know how to do water lines very well. the city uses PVC for pipe??????
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,069
6,216
113
South Coast
Our tinaco is set up that the water feeds in from the top, and there is a float up there that shuts the flow when tinaco is full [like a giant toilet tank float]. From the bottom the water feeds out to the house.

Like someone else said, Mr. AE says there should be a check in the line coming in from the city water, which lets water in and doesn't let it out.
 

jaguarbob

Bronze
Mar 2, 2004
1,426
60
48
You need two check valves.one from city water pipe going in to tinaco only ond one from tinaco going out to house.Now do you have a connectipn that a tinaco pipe is going in to house and a T where city water also goes into house??There is where you need in valve only on city water pipe.
Bob
 

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
71
1
8
Sorry for the delay had to step out
this is what i have and can see
5886916115527018273


looks like i only have one check valve.
 

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
71
1
8
the check valve i have is used for when the water pressure is on it diverts to fill tank from the top using the float valve. all this works fine as the tinaco fills fine. but when the water system is off the tinaco drains fast . i have went up there and measured the drop is about 10" in 20 min, i guess i am supplying the street. would this other check valve be buried somewhere cause i can not find it? possibly they didn't put one into the system?

its a gravity fed system
thanks alterego i probably have the same system
 

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
71
1
8
i am renting a house and have been here 2 months so its new to me. i was having trouble with the float sticking and not filling the tank, but now that i think about it maybe it was but draining later . but anyways in my area there is not sufficient pressure to put the water in the tinaco 2 times in the day, only in the early morning. when i left one morning i checked and the tinaco was full but in the afternoon when i returned home i had no water. One day 250 gallons there is no way i said. so after researching and doing my own process of elimination the water must be going back to the street. but first check if it was leaking somewhere under the house or something , so i turned off the ball valves that supply from the street. no leaking tinaco is full! so it must be returning to the street! so i went looking for another check valve , but when i couldn't find one thats when i turned to you folks for help, i was thinking maybe i am crazy maybe it doesn't need another check valve.
But you guys have said there has to be another check valve.
unless its buried under the concrete i will have to put one in
 

Don Pedro

Member
Apr 2, 2005
262
6
18
one check valve is used and is installed shortly after the pump

Many systems I've seen here have one pipe connecting to the tank that serves as a feed and a supply. Generally, only one check valve is used and is installed shortly after the pump. A gate valve is generally installed close to the tank.

Yes Chip, you are right you cansee it often but it's a wrong way...not enought pressure on your vertical check and you have to prime the pump a cada rato.
 

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
71
1
8
i don't know if the pictures show up , but i don't have a cistern or pump just a tinaco. and only have one pipe going to the tinaco that serves as the feed and supply. this pipe splits near the tinaco one goes to the top for the float other to bottom of tinaco and the bottom one has the check valve one way allowing water out only
 

CARIBETORNO

New member
May 3, 2013
263
0
0
WOW YOU HAVE THE SIMPLEST SYSTEM THEN. YOUR CHECK VALVE IS LEAKING IF IT IS GOING EMPTY. LIKE I SAID THE ONLY REASON CHECK VALVES ARE REQUIRED ON THE CITY INLET IS FOR CONTAMINATION. sO YOU DON'T CONTAMINATE THE CITIES WATER. REPLACE THE CHECK VALVE OR IF IS A SWING CHECK YOU CAN REMOVE THE TOP AND SEE IF IT IS STUCK OR WORKING EASY. IS IT BRASS? OR PLASTIC. I DO THIS CRAP FOR A LIVING
 

wuarhat

I am a out of touch hippie.
Nov 13, 2006
1,378
89
48
I had this problem in Santo Domingo three years ago. You could actually see the meter spinning backwards when the city pressure went off. The setup at your tinaco is correct and seems to be working, but there has to be a check valve between the meter and the rest of the house. I, like you could never find the original so I installed a new one near the meter. If you do this make sure that it is installed in a position so that gravity will cause the valve to close. A gate valve will be very inconvenient, requiring that you open it every time you want to use water anywhere in the house, and then close it each time when you?re done. This, due to human nature, practically ensures the emptying of your tinaco a few times a week. You also have to open it when the pressure is on and close it when the pressure is off. Such a valve is only meant to be installed between the tinaco (and or meter) and the house for shutting off pressure during maintenance.
 

CARIBETORNO

New member
May 3, 2013
263
0
0
He says he has a check valve between the tee for the supply(make up water) and the supply to the house. this check valve is leaking. the only other way for water go go back is if it siphons from the tank supply. photos help in posts. if he is leaking this check vavle cannot be working. swing checks stick all the time. hit them with hammer sometimes free them
 

wuarhat

I am a out of touch hippie.
Nov 13, 2006
1,378
89
48
When the check valve by the tinaco, which is the only one he can see, fails (in leak mode) the symptom would be water bypassing the float valve and coming out of the top of the tinaco, when the city pressure is on. If it fails in always closed mode the tinaco would always be full, but would not function as a backup for city pressure.
 
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