Does anyone out there have a detailed picture of a snifting valve for a Water Ram? I am looking for one detailed enough to be able to figure out how to make one.

-- Ed Holt (goat@sssnet.com), December 10, 2000

Answers

Hey Ed. See if you can find VITA (volunteers in technical assistance) on the net> I think its VITA.org. I'm pretty sure they have plans on the net for this. Good luck

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), December 10, 2000.

Ed, I think you're talking about the valve which lets air into the system, to keep the tank charged. If so, I can tell you that I just drilled a 1/16" hole in the pipe right below the tank, and it works fine. Yes, it squirts a TINY amount of water out each time the ram cycles, but it keeps the tank charged. My ram delivers around seven gallons per minute at fifty psi, and the amount that squirts out the snifter valve was maybe a teaspoon per minute, I'm guessing.

If you want to get fancy, you might try a simple valve stem, like you use on a car tire (the brass kind). It's a neat trick we use here for air charging systems on well pressure tanks. Just screw the valve stem out of the valve and pull the little tiny coil spring off the valve stem with a pair of pliers. Now the valve will let air in, but almost no water out.

Tell us about your ram!

JOJ

-- jumpoffjoe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), January 29, 2001.