SOLUTION:
The key to solving this problem is in realizing that the leak is coming out of the gap between two valves when they are pressed together. So the problem can be solved if :
1. The crack is sealed completely
2. The two valves are pressed together as tight as possible so that the back end of the non-cracked inlet seals the front end of the cracked inlet.
3. The open inlet is kept as-is.
I added a tiny amount of super glue to the front end of the cracked inlet and the back end of the non-cracked inlet and pressed them together as usual, clamped them together, and waited for the super glue to cure. Make sure no glue gets into the open inlet. The super glue not only wicks into the crack but also holds the two valves together to prevent air from leaking out from the gap between the two valves. Just in case the crack extends to the back end of the cracked inlet, I added some super glue on the back end as well.
Hello,
I'm currently assembling FlowIO with a provided kit. During the valve preparation process, I accidentally cracked the valve opening when attempting to insert valve plugs. You can see the crack in the picture attached.
It takes 7-8 weeks for a new valve to arrive, and I don't have any spares.
I've already made the inlet and outlet valves, so I can't just convert this broken one to an inlet/outlet valve to solve the problem. I only need 4 working valves for my purposes.
Questions:
Are there ways to bypass this broken valve? I saw inserter blocks mentioned in the BOM, but the instructions did not cover how to use them.
Is there a way to only replace the broken plastic? Or is it possible to fill up the gap with epoxy?
If you have any experience with this issue and have any tips, that would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Fiona, this is something that can happen sometimes, but it does not always result in a leaky valve. Have you done the testing to confirm whether the valve is now leaking? And if it is leaking, try replacing the plug with another one and see if that makes any difference.