Airless Water Valve, Paying too much for water?

Users who are viewing this thread

xlarge18

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
freehold nj
don't laugh!!!

hello everyone,

i wish i saw these posts before i bought this blue piece of plastic. i bought this airless valve cause i was tired of seeing my water bill going up every month. i should have just limited the amount the faucet opens instead...

first off, when i called after seeing this idea on TV, a guy answered and it sounded like he was at home watching TV with his kids. that should have been warning sign #1. then after i gave him my card info he then said i will receive the unit with 4-6 weeks. i checked my card account and saw that someone charged me $995.00 and then credited it back to me and then charged me $9.95. i figured he hit one to many 0s. with that said, you would only assume a great intellectual mind would have made this miracle of modern technology.

i got this thing in the mail to day. it reminded me of the napoleon dynamite time machine from ****. hehehehe it literally is a black rubber washer, a 1/2" to 1/2" white PVC spacer and there patented airless valve. its a blue abs plastic valve that uses a stainless spring and rubber seal to regulate the flow of your water, i mean "AIR".

in NJ where i reside, my meter has a wire on it to prevent people from tampering with the meter. my wire was cut from before we moved in and the inspector didn't care so i didn't as well. i removed the spacer as per the instructions. as a plumbers son and a self proclaimed jack of all trades, this was very easy. lefty loosie. i assembled the white PVC spacer and the airless valve using the old nut from the original spacer and made sure to apply Teflon tape to all male threads. righty tighty.

turn back on the valves for the meter and the house and i see a small drip from the airless valve and the white PVC spacer. tighten just a tad more and it slowed but was not gone. i also heard this ungodly shrieking vibration noise whenever a faucet was turned on. it was the blue airless valve. it was making this horrible loud as heck noise. the little check valve must have been moving back and forth so much inside that thing that it was making a vibration flapping noise through out all my pipes. if my meter was outside i wouldn't have given two poops but my meter is right in the middle of my townhouse!!!

before installing it i just looked at this valve and was like, "thats it". first off, it looked like a simple regulating valve. when the pressure got to a point to open the valve it would but if the main was low on pressure for any reason, it would close. i guess that is what that flapping vibration noise was when the pressure dropped due to a faucet running. second, any technically inclined person can look and see that it had a smaller opening then the spacer and it has a valve in it that blocked flow. so you try to get the same volume through a coffee straw as you did through a garden hose. not gonna happen.

i gave it a try though, vibration noise and slow drip and all. the shower head was pissing on my head to say the least. it was horrible. yes it will save you money because it blocks half the volume from the main. and yes it did make the dial turn slower and steadier because it was impeding flow. and i had an awfully loud vibration noise.

I'm glad it was only $9.95 and i put it in and OUT myself. i didn't pay a plumber to laugh at me.

it would be great idea for an apartment owner or a business owner because it will save you money if you include your utilities in with the rent. you are basically getting 60% of the water and making everyone pay for 100% of it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
Good info, xlarge. Don't feel bad about giving it a try. Infomercials are designed to draw you in and make you make a purchase on the spot (free stuff when call in 30 minutes or less, etc.). They know if you decide to take a day or two to "think about it", you probably won't buy it. I would check the fine print and try to send it back. Usually the 'free' or cheap trials bill your CC for shipping at first. Then if you don't return it within like 30 days, they will add on the full price of the product. They do this so people willl think "Hey, it's only $9.95 to try it and if I don't like it, I can send it back". They know that most people, even if they are unhappy with the product, will be too lazy to get it returned within the 30 days. The company then gets the full price sale and the person is stuck with the product.

The chatter that you are getting is what you can run into with check valves. If you crank up the flow, the chatter should have gone away. You might also have below average water pressure where you live and that compounded the situation. Perhaps it is common for this thing to chatter, but most people have their meter out at the curb, so would never hear it.

Best way to cut your bill is to just cut water usage. Check toilets for leaking flappers, install low-flow shower heads, install low-flow aereators at faucets, etc. If your bill seems much higher than it should be (water usage, not price, as rates can change), there could also be a leak somewhere. In your case, probably not since it is a townhouse and the meter is inside. However, if you had a meter at the curb, you could have a leak between the meter and the house and it would be hard to know it was there (except for the higher water bill).
 

Jimbo

Plumber
Messages
8,918
Reaction score
18
Points
0
Location
San Diego, CA
OK. I ran this little gizmo past my brother. He has a PHD from MIT, specialty is fluid dynamics. He is recently retired from a long career which involved design of nuclear submarines for the Navy, and he has consulted on America's cup yacht designs. Water is what he does! I will spare you the jargon, most of which I can't pronounce. His summary:
PT Barnum is alive and well!
 

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
It sounds like your bro and I pretty much have the same background. We would probably have a lot to talk about. :) The Navy wanted me to join them as an officer, but I figured that wasn't my thing. I did go to school with a bunch of Navy guys, though. The Navy would send them to get their BS or MS in Nuke Eng. and then they would get some more school in the Navy and then get put on a sub or a carrier.
 

NHmaster

Master Plumber
Messages
3,176
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
S. Maine
Can we wrap this thread and the Easy Water, Zeta Rod and that other vodoo water softener thing up into one permanent category called BS Inventions. :) Because we can't do this all day long. Call today and we'll send you not one, not two , but three airless valves. Just pay shipping and handling ( 49.99 ) to receive your crap today. O wonder if I could sell compression ball valves as a water saving device. Just turn the handle until your water meter stops spinning so fast and count up the savings. Damn people are stupid
 

RKE

DIY Junior Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Florida
Hello everyone. I'm new here when I ran across this interesting thread about the Airless Valve. After reading all 46 posts, the one question I asked myself was, how do you explain the real documented testimonials, the ones who have been using it for a time and realizing a real savings? Haven't several successful inventions initially been dragged through the mud? I agree with one poster who said the "proof is in the Pudding" What about that, after all is said and done? (This is where I duck!)
 

NHmaster

Master Plumber
Messages
3,176
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
S. Maine
You can explain it because the airless valve restricts the water flow through the system. Same as using a water saver shower head.

Game, set , Match
 

RKE

DIY Junior Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Florida
You can explain it because the airless valve restricts the water flow through the system. Same as using a water saver shower head.

Game, set , Match

Ok, I hear what your saying, but it evidently is saving money. Again, what about that?
 

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
You can't really trust testimonials. Even from people who are not given anything from the company to give them.

Take fuel saving devices for cars. People install them and *want* the product to get them better MPGs. They pay more attention to driving habits and perhaps round numbers in the MPG calculation to make things more favorable. People don't want to admit that they wasted money on something. They get it in their head that the device is really saving them money, but any savings really just comes from changing their driving habits.

Now, maybe some people will see some savings with this device due to retricted flow. It won't help for toilets, washers, or filling the tub, but might with showers, etc. My problem with it is everything they state is filled with crap, so I would not trust anything about it.

What about the testimonial on here (couple posts up) that said his flow went to almost nothing and was getting chatter from the valve?

To really know if there is savings, one has to look at before and after the install with many months of readings. Saying I used 6 units last month and only 4 units this month (due to the valve) does not cut it. Rounding of the meter value, different number of days in the billing cycle, different water usage, etc. all plays a part. You need a good data sample to know if anything is saved. Something with many units (like jimbo mentioned) with lots of data on water usage would be the best test. With many families, you would get a better average. With just a single family, usage might change because you had company over or maybe one of your kids moved away to college.
 

NHmaster

Master Plumber
Messages
3,176
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
S. Maine
If you will all excuse me I am off to my garage to install magic magnets on my fuel line. Guaranteed to increase my gas mileage
 

Plumber Jim

Member
Messages
89
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Website
www.broomfieldplumber.com
It seems to me all of you people with a post or 2 are just the owner of this scam trying to water down the facts. It is a scam plain and simple and if any of you are not the owner and really think it might be real then I truly feel bad for you. If someone is looking at saving water then replace you're old 3.5 gallon toilets with 1.6 gallon toilets and put on water saver shower heads etc. At least it will be real savings that you can trust.
 

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
Peter: Don't forget your Tornado. That will get you a mad increase in HP and MPG. :D
 

Jimbo

Plumber
Messages
8,918
Reaction score
18
Points
0
Location
San Diego, CA
Testimonials? You expect someone who was suckered in to buying this thing to say anything bad? They CONVINCE THEMSELVES that is working, and then go on TV with Billy Mays to tell you about it~
 

Polyresearch

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Tennessee
Google Patent Search: Airflow regulating valve assembly

Thought you all would be interested in seeing the full patent application for this little do-dad. The following link includes the full abstract, drawings, description, and related claims. I noticed that another member posted a link to what I believe was just an overview, although it may be that I was just unfamiliar with how to navigate the previously posted site. In any event here's the link to the google patent documents. Enjoy!

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=6oLKAAAAEBAJ

John
 

buddog

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
AZ
Hello all,
I have been lurking on this thread reading all of you comments. I just have to say that this product works and unless you see for.... just kidding.
I completely agree this is a questionable product and it's ads are misleading at best - I'm surprised that they are not under investigation yet.
I am not an engineer by education or trade - however, I have a pretty good grasp of ME, Fluid Dynamics and Physics and found some of your posts very insightful.

So, I did some poking around the http://www.airlessvalve.com/ site and found something of interest. At the bottom of the page (in the footer) is a link called "terms and conditions".
It is a PDF file. After reading it, it seems that your are "leasing" this product for 12 months and unless you provide a written letter to discontinue the lease agreement, it renews for an additional 12 months - fro 5 YEARS!

XLARGE (I think that was his users name) said he purchased this item and he showed a $995 charge to his credit card...(I am paraphrasing). I would be interested in knowing if he is being charged every month and is under some type of lease agreement.... this company looks very nefarious and is clearly taking advantage of people.

I'd love to know what you all think of the "terms and conditions" - maybe I am misunderstanding it.
 

Furd

Engineer
Messages
448
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Wet side of Washington State
First line of the patent abstract: The valve assembly disposed within a water supply line upstream of a water meter. (My emphasis.)

So according to the patent the device (which is nothing more than a spring-loaded check valve) needs to be inserted BEFORE the meter yet the consumer instructions state to insert AFTER the meter to avoid any trouble with the water utility.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks