ATF: Bighorn - Check valve noise

[Brandon]

I replaced the check valve because to old one broke due to a poor installation job of the hot water supply line which flooded our rv kitchen and basement at 2:30 in the morning. Anyways the check valve makes a humming noise now and I need to know what I need to do to fix it.
Thanks, Brandon

 

[danemayer]

Hi Brandon,

I'm not sure you can fix check valves. The ones I'm familiar with either work or don't - no adjustments. I suppose it's possible that there's a piece of crud stuck in the valve causing the noise. If you removed the valve maybe fiddling with it might help. But check valves don't cost very much. If you're talking about the hot water heater outlet check valve, by the time you remove it, fiddle with it, test it, you might find it's worth the extra $10-12 on a new brass valve to be done with it.

If you are talking about the hot water heater, you might want to flush the crud out of the heater tank in case it is a problem with crud getting into the check valve.

 

[Brandon]

A brass ball valve or brass check valve? Also what is the purpose of a check valve?
thanks, Brandon

 

[TedS]

The check valve prevents back flow into the water heater when the heater bypass valve is turned to bypass the water heater when winterizing.

 

[danemayer]

A brass ball valve or brass check valve? Also what is the purpose of a check valve?
thanks, Brandon

I think a brass ball valve is used to shut off water flow - it's open or closed. A brass check valve is also called a "back flow preventer" and allows water to flow in one direction only.

The plastic check valve in the hot water heater water outlet (top of water heater) keeps cold water from flowing the wrong way into the water heater, resulting in luke-warm water. (On edit, as TedS says, also keeps water from flowing backwards into the empty tank when the water heater is bypassed.) A brass check valve does the same thing but won't crack like the plastic ones.

You'll also find check valves or something equivalent in the black tank flush line, and perhaps in the city water inlet - the objective of those is to protect the water supply from possible contamination.

 

[TedS]

If you never winterize or never need to bypass the water heater, you do not need that check valve.