Air loss

[Bat21]

No I don't mean going bald

My on board air system looses about 15psi every 5 minutes, I know this because my pump is designed to 'kick in' at 135psi and 'shut off' at 150psi, if left on this is what it does every 5 minutes.

Is this acceptable air loss, or as I suspect, have I not done a good enough job of sealing the fittings? I used PTFE tape on all the screw in fittings and all the push in fittings I assumed should be self sealing

 

[clivehorridge]

If I leave my ARB pump on (without any plumbing at all) it kicks in every 8 minutes for 3 seconds. I timed it after fitting it! Sad but true!

 

[Bat21]

Thanks Clive, mine too is an ARB pump ....

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

Have you got a one way valve fitted next to the pump? If not then it could be losing the air back through the pump.

 

[Bat21]

Have you got a one way valve fitted next to the pump? If not then it could be losing the air back through the pump.

I have a one way valve fitted between my 2 gal tank and the air manifold, this isolates what you see in the photo from the tank:-

Essentially the twin pumps have their own central tank which is about the size of a large cotton reel (you can just see the end of it in the center of the photo), then there is the small manifold tank that you see in the bottom of the photo that the lockers and main tank are plumbed into....

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

Time for a bit of washing up liquid and water around all the joints then.

 

[Chris]

Agree with Paul. Usually on these the loss is connected (no pun intended) with the angles at which the pipe goes into the connectors. The plastic tube is fairly inflexible and doens t seal that well. I have had times where the system has kept pressure for days. Then one little wiggle and pppppppppssssssssss it's gone. Soapy water and a wiggle. You can't beat it. Truth is that you SHOULD be able to seal it very well indeed.