Valve troubles

[DinerKid]

First off i have read the whole guide to sprinkler valves but it does not answer this question and i have also searched and read through dozens of treads with no luck. i have a system that supplies a steady stream of air at 60psi from an air compressor through a regulator. i am using a ball valve with a whole in it as a breach with a mounted hopper for paint balls. the issue is the sprinkler valve when i turn on the steady stream of 60psi air to pressurize the camber it honks while filling and the honking causes air to come out of the barrel and the tank never pressurizes. i think the issue is the equalization hole in the diaphragm and that the steam of air pressurizes the tank too quickly for the top of the diaphragm to fill so it pushes the diaphragm up causing a leak. can i just make the equalization hole bigger. my fear is that if it is too big that it will cause it to fire poorly if it does work cause i will have a big hole in the diaphragm.

thanks
~DK

[THUNDERLORD]

I think it's a bad idea modding the diaphram of the valve.
Have you tryed filling it with a pump?
Does it fire once and then honk or just honk?
Something is not configured properly on your valve externally IMO.

By the way, your post would be easier to read if you added some enters and seperate the sentences.

EDIT: How do you pilot it? (blow nozzle?)
Maybe your pilot valve is leaking.

[DinerKid]

the pump is tricky because the valve will not lock until like 15psi but it works fine after that with no honking. the pilot is a blowgun but no leaks in that.

the honking only happens when filling up. if i pump up with a hand pump it fires beautifully but that defeats the purpose of the cannon which is for me to be able to leave the reg set to 60psi and then fire once and while it pressurizes up again turn the ball valve loader to have a ball from the hopper fall into the barrel then fire again and repeat.

i am pretty sure it is just that the chamber goes from 0-60psi in like 2.5-3 seconds and that the equalization of the valve is not able to keep up.

[MountainousDew]

How do you pilot it? (blow nozzle?)
Maybe your pilot valve is leaking.

If your blowgun is upside down it will leak. Actually it is suppose to be upside down, I confused myself...

Connect the blowgun with the bottom threads to the sprinkler valve, if it isn't already.

[DinerKid]

yeah the blow gun is all set no leaks and it fires perfectly when it is filled with a hand pump. the issue is all in the steady fill idea with a constant stream of regulated 60psi shop air.

[jrrdw]

Try slowing down the fill rate to see if a change happens. You can fold the air hose over just like a garden hose and slow it down that way just to test it.

[DinerKid]

i did something similar and just turned the knob on the regulator and it is kinda tricky but i got it to work. this is great but it still doesn't satisfy my needs to do the whole load while pressurizing. will making the equalization hole in the diaphragm help?

[THUNDERLORD]

i did something similar and just turned the knob on the regulator and it is kinda tricky but i got it to work. this is great but it still doesn't satisfy my needs to do the whole load while pressurizing. will making the equalization hole in the diaphragm help?

Making a hole/ altering your valve internally might turn it into basically scrap. There is a "how-to" (or more) on modding them or making new diaphrams on this site.

If filling too quick is the problem for sure, a ball valve or small flow regulator could be used after your regulator and it will fill slower to the same pressure though.

Are you filling through a shrader valve (tire type) or what kind?

I had no problem the other week using propane with constant flow on a 1.5" and 1" sprinkler valve.
But it has a lot more restriction of flow.
I wonder What are the measurements of the chamber? 8)

Edit: Does your valve have a guide rod?

[c11man]

if you add a tee before you blow gun and attach your shop air to the piolot side of the sprinkler you can fill it as fast as you want.

problem solved

[DinerKid]

is this so. i thought i had heard people had been doing this. is there anything that i have to be careful of. safety wise as well as performance wise?
thanks.

[c11man]

you will have to attach a ball balve or a check valve inbetween the quick disconnect and the tee so that it doesnt fire when you remove the airhose but otherwise you will have same power and saftey

anouther thing you could do is to add a valve onto your original chamber fill spot so that you can barrely open it and slowly filll the chamber

[DinerKid]

if you add a tee before you blow gun and attach your shop air to the piolot side of the sprinkler you can fill it as fast as you want.

problem solved

i just kinda thought of this. if the shop air stays on all the time when i push the blowgun will this hinder the diaphragms ability to lift or should i be okay? assuming that i fill from the pilot side of the valve.

[c11man]

you will need to shut off the air inorder to fire

[DinerKid]

and suddenly i am back to the drawing board.

[c11man]

just get a ball valve. they cost like 5 bucks for a 1/4inch one