Autopot problems, aquavalve stuck open!

[phenotyper]

Hi all, I have a couple of plants in auto pots fed by a rez. I awoke the other morning to find that the entire reservoir had drained into my overflow trays. I took apart the valve, cleaned it, empties the rez, cleaned the drip tubing, and I still get the same result: a slow drip from the valve that eventually drains the rez.

Can anyone help me with this who has experience similar problems? I am about to go out of town and if I din't figure it out, curtains for the ladies : (

I emailed autopot's helpdesk but I have not heard back yet. Thanks!

 

[hiboy]

Hi all, I have a couple of plants in auto pots fed by a rez. I awoke the other morning to find that the entire reservoir had drained into my overflow trays. I took apart the valve, cleaned it, empties the rez, cleaned the drip tubing, and I still get the same result: a slow drip from the valve that eventually drains the rez.

Can anyone help me with this who has experience similar problems? I am about to go out of town and if I din't figure it out, curtains for the ladies : (

I emailed autopot's helpdesk but I have not heard back yet. Thanks!

;( hate when i cant fix a problem....
post a pic of it.
if u can, wondering if theres an o ring or equal that wore out, seems unlikely. how does the valve normally operate? is it electric?
hb

 

[phenotyper]

Thanks for the post hiboy. It is actually a very simple gravity fed pump that stops feeding when a float valve is triggered. There really isn't anything to wear out, it is only a couple of months old, and everything looks brand new after the cleaning. It doesn't make any sense because it seems like no variables changed.

Here is an animation of exactly how it works.

 

[hiboy]

watched the video,
i would inspect all plastic parts for wear, look for any scuffs or marks, maybe u can switch those little yellow pieces since there is more than 1.
soak it in bleach,
maybe the float valve isnt operating all the way since thats the trigger. if you help the float valve move all the way to its off position, does the drip stop
then u would know its the float,or trigger, not the valve.
hb