Stupid ball valve

Satori

Satori

Cancer Sucks
My closed loop pump started rattling so I bought a replacement, but I can't change it yet. One of the ball valves for the CL is stuck and won't turn off. I ordered some rubber stoppers from a science supply website. I plan to use them to plug the lockline nozzles long enough to get the pump changed.

The only problem is that the nozzle opening is 19mm and the fat end of the stoppers is 20mm, so that only gives me 1 mm, so hopefully the pressure won't push them into the lockline.

If that doesn't work, any other ideas?
 
Unscew the lockline and get a PVC thead plug for the bulkhead at Home depot, little teflon tape and no sweat, be easier to get out the rubber pug too.
 
That would work great, but the bulkheads are behind the rockwork with the lockline coming through the rocks and poking out. I would have to tear out a lot of rock to get to it.
 
I use a flat peice of acrylic on the end of the bulkhead in my sump when I opened up the dolphin bigmo. The pressure does the rest to slow the water to a trickle. Might work in your case as well. The lid to the overflow is what I used..
 
I would rather not even have a trickle while changing the pump. The rubber stoppers will be here early next week and I'll be able to see just how tight they fit. I might be able to put a screw in the end to help expand them a little.
 
Your timing is on. I received the rubber stoppers today, but they're just not big enough on the fat end. I'll have to come up with something else. At least it's not "critical" yet; the pump still works, it just makes noise when it starts back up from the feed cycle.

I've been going back and forth on coming up for the swap, I don't think I'll come this time. I have no room for something new, and I won't try to sell any frags since I have yet to treat my red bugs.
 
Well, I got this pump changed. The old pump was getting noisier and noisier, and last night the house filled with what smelled like an electric fire, so it was time. I shut down the CL last night and this morning I worked the stuck ball valve back and forth until it closed far enough.

The pump change went very smooth, but when I was turning all the ball valves back on, my hand slipped and hit the sharp reflector on my under-stand T-5 fixture and gashed it about 2" long and about 1/4" deep. Just got back from ER, 4 stitches. :lol:
 
Ouch! I did kind of the same thing last summer working in my pond, was using a big knife to divide plants and it slipped and I ended up with 4 stitches in the knuckle of my left hand ring finger, lemme tell ya, getting that ring off was tough. I was doped up on pain meds so did not feel anything but I heard blood was squirting everywhere.
 
Good one Gary! This was a good one. My whole hand is numb, the doctor said I severed nerves. :( We'll see how it heals.
 
People in this hobby seem to go from one hair-raising event to the next! Sorry about your hand, Mike- and the ER experience...
 
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