foot valve - pump looses prime

[Bill Russell]

Hello all,
Does anyone have any experience in selecting a foot valve for a two foot deep 'pit sump' with a progressive cavity pump. I do have a shut-off valve just above the honey line but the pump looses prime fairly quickly. Also have tee which makes re-priming relatively easy.

I need a foot valve that;
1) opens with the suction that a progressive cavity pump will provide at a two foot rise with one 90 degree elbow.
2) allows a good flow of honey past it
3) closes pretty consistently in the presence of wax cappings (Gunness Uncapper).
4) lets you manually hold it open in the event you want to reverse honey flow. This is necessary when the extracting crew mistakenly runs the pump dry and therefore looses prime.

Is a flap or ball valve preferrable over a poppet type valve?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Bill Russell

fyi - a foot valve is a check valve at the end of a suction pipe

[BEES4U]

Is a gear pump out of the question?
Ernie

[Tom G. Laury]

All the check valves I have seen like that are "flappers" open one way and seal the other, keeping intake full of liquid. But I would question why you are losing it so fast; where is it sucking air? Sounds like air is getting in and letting the liquid drain down.