Pressure Switch and Dead End Calibration Issue!

[Ian Sheppard]

Thankyou very much Ian for this useful information.  my controller flow rate ranges between 0-10. Even if you have it on 10 and battery at max it wont flush it through fully(the PS light comes on). To be fair though I wouldn't use between 7-10 as it would use much more water. I find the 10 is useful just to flush your pump through of air when the reel is disconnected. One thing I have noticed which I think I may have figured the problem. My section 1 on my gardiner pole has ground down that much I have the clamp on really tight and I feel like its constricting  the hose inside the pole which could be affecting the PS light. I need to replace it asap really as it's been like this while. I loosened it off and it seemed to do the trick with my controller but I couldn't work with it as it was too loose. I wonder if this is the actual problem?

Hi Edward yes if the hose is restricted inside the pole that would cause the higher pressure and the Pump PS to activate.

You may also find that the newer hose does not expand as much as your previous hose and that running at 10 flow means pressure in the hose is high and the pressure switch activates. The amount of water the pump produces at a flow of around with the controller set at 6 or 7 is about the same as running at 10 because the hose restricts how much water can pass through. 

 

[ched999uk]

I modified my manual reels and my technique to be almost effortless to wind in, and super fast.

That sounds interesting. Any details, picys?

 

[Davy G]

That sounds interesting. Any details, picys?

I modified the reels (two in the van and one spare), by drilling through the end-plates and putting 6mm threaded bar through from one side to the other, in two places opposite each other. These are then clamped together just tight enough with nuts to stop the hose from pushing the plates apart, which causes a lot of unnecessary friction on the spindle hubs when winding in.  It's a long standing design and manufacturing fault that should have been sorted long ago. Over time the hose pushes the side plates apart creating a lot of friction if it's allowed to. By preventing this they now run with almost no friction or effort.

The modification of technique is simple as well and is probably already done by a lot of operators. When I'm returning to the van, rather than getting all the way back and then reeling in all the hose, after maybe ten paces or so, I pick up the hose, almost without breaking stride and carry it till I get about the same distance again and so on. This way when I get back to the van all the hose is relatively near, is easy and quick to reel. It doesn't have to be reeled long distances around corners, car tyres and ornaments. I stand just slightly to the side of the reel when winding in while I spool the hose in nice, close coils with the other hand.

By standing slightly to the side I hardly have to use my shoulder. It's mainly spinning just the lower arm. It's surprising the speed this adds and the effort it saves, especially with the reduction of friction. This might sound trivial but when it can sometimes be thirty or more times a day per person, I can definitely confirm it makes a difference to the speed, effort and efficiency.

I will take a photo or two of the simple reel modification and post them, probably tomorrow. ?

 

[Edward Baskerville]

Just an update on my calibration situation. I think I found the problem finally I will test system tomorrow to make sure. I can now calibrate my pump up to about 8 now. It was only letting me do it up to like 5. My pump strainers rubber seal has perished and I think this was pulling air through the system and possibly why I was getting PS

 

[Iron Giant]

I modified the reels (two in the van and one spare), by drilling through the end-plates and putting 6mm threaded bar through from one side to the other, in two places opposite each other. These are then clamped together just tight enough with nuts to stop the hose from pushing the plates apart, which causes a lot of unnecessary friction on the spindle hubs when winding in.  It's a long standing design and manufacturing fault that should have been sorted long ago. Over time the hose pushes the side plates apart creating a lot of friction if it's allowed to. By preventing this they now run with almost no friction or effort.

The modification of technique is simple as well and is probably already done by a lot of operators. When I'm returning to the van, rather than getting all the way back and then reeling in all the hose, after maybe ten paces or so, I pick up the hose, almost without breaking stride and carry it till I get about the same distance again and so on. This way when I get back to the van all the hose is relatively near, is easy and quick to reel. It doesn't have to be reeled long distances around corners, car tyres and ornaments. I stand just slightly to the side of the reel when winding in while I spool the hose in nice, close coils with the other hand.

By standing slightly to the side I hardly have to use my shoulder. It's mainly spinning just the lower arm. It's surprising the speed this adds and the effort it saves, especially with the reduction of friction. This might sound trivial but when it can sometimes be thirty or more times a day per person, I can definitely confirm it makes a difference to the speed, effort and efficiency.

I will take a photo or two of the simple reel modification and post them, probably tomorrow. ?

If you want to pm me, I can give you my email address and see if I can post it on your behalf later today or this evening 

 

[steve garwood]

If you want to pm me, I can give you my email address and see if I can post it on your behalf later today or this evening 

 

[Iron Giant]

Hey presto on behalf of @Davy G

 

[spruce]

I modified the reels (two in the van and one spare), by drilling through the end-plates and putting 6mm threaded bar through from one side to the other, in two places opposite each other. These are then clamped together just tight enough with nuts to stop the hose from pushing the plates apart, which causes a lot of unnecessary friction on the spindle hubs when winding in.  It's a long standing design and manufacturing fault that should have been sorted long ago. Over time the hose pushes the side plates apart creating a lot of friction if it's allowed to. By preventing this they now run with almost no friction or effort.

The modification of technique is simple as well and is probably already done by a lot of operators. When I'm returning to the van, rather than getting all the way back and then reeling in all the hose, after maybe ten paces or so, I pick up the hose, almost without breaking stride and carry it till I get about the same distance again and so on. This way when I get back to the van all the hose is relatively near, is easy and quick to reel. It doesn't have to be reeled long distances around corners, car tyres and ornaments. I stand just slightly to the side of the reel when winding in while I spool the hose in nice, close coils with the other hand.

By standing slightly to the side I hardly have to use my shoulder. It's mainly spinning just the lower arm. It's surprising the speed this adds and the effort it saves, especially with the reduction of friction. This might sound trivial but when it can sometimes be thirty or more times a day per person, I can definitely confirm it makes a difference to the speed, effort and efficiency.

I will take a photo or two of the simple reel modification and post them, probably tomorrow. ?

I drop of 3 in 1 oil on those petal reel brushes also goes a long way.

 

[Davy G]

If you want to pm me, I can give you my email address and see if I can post it on your behalf later today or this evening 

Thank you, I G. That's a photo of the slight modification I did on my three manual reels (two in the van and a spare). Ched asked to see a photo on Oct 7th but I was unable to post it for some reason. The modification was to reduce the friction caused by the end plates being pushed apart by the hose. I drilled two 6mm holes on each of the two plates, in the groove and put 6mm threaded bar through from one side to the other with a nut on each end.  This cured the problem. The reels now run with almost flywheel efficiency. The end of one of the threaded bars can be seen in the photo. It's in the groove, at just below the 9 O'clock position.

Thanks again, Iron Giant. ??

 

[Davy G]

The second photo is one that Johnny Bravo asked for on the 25 Nov to show the position of the nylon NRV low down on the supply line. This is only just visible behind the bulkhead in the photo as I was very busy and I didn't want to disturb the insulation too much. A short distance above the NRV is the Tee-piece with double clips. It's extremely rare for me to have problems with air in the system since I removed the taps that had been on the two branches. My thinking is that they were water taps and possibly not 100% able to prevent a tiny amount of air being sucked in through the spindles as air has smaller molecules than water. Also of course the taps meant extra joints in the system with the potential for more tiny air leaks. Tiny leaks in a suction line can be so much more difficult to pinpoint than in a delivery line. I've found for me that the less components and complications in the system the more reliable it is.

Another big thank you to Iron Giant for posting this photo as well. ??

 

[Iron Giant]

Another big thank you to Iron Giant for posting this photo as well. ??

Now you have worked out the message function and got my email address, don't you be sending me pics of you in your rubber skirt ?

 

[Davy G]

Now you have worked out the message function and got my email address, don't you be sending me pics of you in your rubber skirt ?

Oh no! You're on to me. ?

 

[spruce]

Someone also did another mod to those bushes on the petal reels. He replaced them with sealed roller bearings. He had to modify the three way frame brackets for the bearing to fit.

Personally I like the reel to not be too free running. If it is then it tends to overrun when pulling the hose out which leaves the hose loose. This can lead to links in the hose that restrict the water flow.