# this is what 120 psi does to flushometers



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I found this Tuesday in a urinal flushometer at a palm oil processing plant. The place is on well water, the pumps aren't soft start, so there are some insane pressure surges. The black piece is from a 1.5 gpf urinal diaphragm. the previous chimp plumber didn't even have enough to wonder where it went, he just must have dropped in a new 1.0 gpf diaphragm and called it good.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

422 plumber said:


> I found this Tuesday in a urinal flushometer at a palm oil processing plant. The place is on well water, the pumps aren't soft start, so there are some insane pressure surges. The black piece is from a 1.5 gpf urinal diaphragm. the previous chimp plumber didn't even have enough to wonder where it went, he just must have dropped in a new 1.0 gpf diaphragm and called it good.


 Hey! That's where my Trimco adj wrench went...


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

rjbphd said:


> Hey! That's where my Trimco adj wrench went...


i will look and see if it's a trimco. I had to use that because my Ridgid hexjaw wrench was left inside a nuke plant, because it's such a ***** to get tools in and out.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Sounds like they need cycle stop valves on thier pumps.

Sent from my iPhone 10.5


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

125 psi. Wow. what's the green thing??

I've got a trimco. Grandad gave me


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> 125 psi. Wow. what's the green thing??
> 
> I've got a trimco. Grandad gave me


 Is that my camo hat??? If it doesn't have lights built into it.. its not mine..


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

422 plumber said:


> i will look and see if it's a trimco. I had to use that because my Ridgid hexjaw wrench was left inside a nuke plant, because it's such a ***** to get tools in and out.


 I have two smooth jaw Trimco... best for chrome finish fixture and ...


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Never seen that before. 

So, I'm guessing the green one is from the 1.0 gpf diaphram? 




I used to use those wrenches for anglestops since the jaws are at 90 degrees to the handle. Much more ergonomic than crescent wrenches.







Paul


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Yep I collect hats I have over 50 of them in the bed room free ones are the best sorry to hyjack. 

I use a ridgid smooth for chrome trim out

Where do you buy trimo wrenches. Never seen them around here. My grandpa was from Philly


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

422 plumber said:


> I found this Tuesday in a urinal flushometer at a palm oil processing plant. The place is on well water, the pumps aren't soft start, so there are some insane pressure surges. The black piece is from a 1.5 gpf urinal diaphragm. the previous chimp plumber didn't even have enough to wonder where it went, he just must have dropped in a new 1.0 gpf diaphragm and called it good.


A pressure surge like that would indicate the pressure switch or sensor not communicating with the pump properly. 

Pull the pressure switch and clean or replace. Same with the 1/4inch nipple feeding it.

If there is build up it can cause lag on well pump starts and stops. 

BTW is there no PRV on the system? ? That's unsafe pressure for a standard well tank which are rated at 125PSI I believe.

I've never personally seen it happen, but my father has seen well tanks with no PRV take off like a rocket and blow through the ceiling above due to faulty or plugged pressure switches.

I've seen the pictures. It's nuts.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

AWWGH said:


> A pressure surge like that would indicate the pressure switch or sensor not communicating with the pump properly.
> 
> Pull the pressure switch and clean or replace. Same with the 1/4inch nipple feeding it.
> 
> ...


This is just one building at the plant. However, it houses about 6 different labs, plus some admin people, I am trying to get them to let me install a PRV. They will not let me anywhere near the pump house. It's the kind of place that if there is no p.o. you can't work on anything. They have money appropriated for routine plumbing, so they pay for me to come out and deal with problems caused by high pressure, but to spend a couple grand on a 3" PRV, is a problem.


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## gusty60 (Oct 21, 2008)

Is that my bucket?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> 125 psi. Wow. what's the green thing??


That's what is left of the relief valve... 
Low flow ones are green...

I've seen the stainless steel rod pushed out by high pressure but haven't seen the plastic in pieces yet...


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## jitr64 (Sep 30, 2010)

I have ran into 3 diaphragms in pieces like that in the last 6 weeks in san diego county at different commercial properties .I'm thinking there is a bad batch of parts in circulation right now.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Ok. The plastic sleeve that slides up and down on the metal rod that goes through the diaphragm it self I see it now. That's some pressure for sure.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Yep its got that mushroom head that goes on top of the diaphragm.

The mushroom head has a hole in the center of it and on the ones I had seen subjected to high pressure the pressure through the small hole pushe the metal rod out from the head...

It must have been some crazy pressure to break the plastic into pieces...


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Yea. I call that part the plunger. It's the only part that controls the flush amount correct.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Sloan calls it a relief valve...

The relief valve drains the water from on top of the diaphragm, which allows the diaphragm to rise up allowing the water to flow through the flush valve. In the diaphragm there is a orifice which allows the top chamber above the diaphragm to refill which then pushes the diaphragm down again shutting off the flow of water again until the next time the flush lever is pressed.

The amount of water per flush is controlled by the size of the orifice in the diaphragm.

The sliding plastic piece on the relief valve is what makes one flush per press of the handle so it will shut off even when the handle is pressed.

Next time you take one apart keep this in mind and you'll see how the flushometers work.

A lot of guys work on them all the time and don't have any idea how they work.:laughing:


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## gasaman (Oct 19, 2009)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Yep I collect hats I have over 50 of them in the bed room free ones are the best sorry to hyjack.
> 
> I use a ridgid smooth for chrome trim out
> 
> Where do you buy trimo wrenches. Never seen them around here. My grandpa was from Philly


TRIMCO stands for Tri Mount Company Boston. I have a pipe cutter from them with a pattern date of 1890.


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## Kleinfelterj (Jan 23, 2012)

I would say between our whole department we changed about 30 of those relief valves on Sloan flushometers this summer. We actually got a rep from Sloan to admit they had a bad batch come through. He replaced every broken one we saved plus gave us about 40 of them to keep on our shelves in case anymore break. I would say that was 70 % of our calls this summer. I work in a amusement park so our peak operation season is from May through September.


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