by Laurie D.
Presta Valve question
4:18 pm in How-Tos, made from scratch (without a kit), Materials and Resources, Seeking Advice, Version 3.0 Modular Airlift Columns by Laurie D.
I have decided that I’m just going to buy the presta valves or the bike tubes that contain them. I just can’t figure out what to buy!
Will this work?
How about this?
What about this?
There seem to be different sizes and I don’t know one from another and it isn’t specified in the instructions.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
The middle one will work: Avenir Bicycle Tube Presta Valve – 26 x 1.90-2.125 Inch
If I were you I’d just go to a bike shop and ask them for a used presta bicycle tube. They should have a ton of them as people come in and they just toss these tubes out after they change a flat.
Don’t forget that you need silicone, two neoprene washers and two nuts (you can use the nut that comes on the presta tube or even buy two normal washers and ask at the bike shop if they can give you an extra presta nut (for a total of two) and use the normal washers to push down on the neoprene washers to ensure an airtight seal (together with the silicone).
setup: [nut][washer][neoprene washer][silicone][cap][silicone][neoprene washer][washer][nut]
Also don’t forget that you need plumbers tape for the presta tube to ensure an airtight fit, and if I were you I’d use a larger diameter (ID) tube, about 1” long on the outside of the inner tube that you are connecting to the presta valve (assuming there will be any pressure from the reservoir) and dab a little silicone around the seams to ensure no leakage.
If you need any additional help let me know. This was one of the most frustrating parts of the build for me. You can kind of see what I am talking about in the resevoir picture below at the link below
http://our.windowfarms.org/2011/10/17/my-setup-10-ft-ceilings-w-pvc-pipe-bucket-and-concrete/
I would echo greg’s comment except that I managed to get a water tight seal without silicone. I actually used a plastic beer bottle cap because the plastic is thicker so the assembly won’t shift as much. Instead of neoprene washers I used the rubber strip used between a clamp (like for a clamp on bike light) and the frame. It’s thick and rigid enough for the job yet still flexible. I also used the washers from a rear derailleur guide wheel and they seem to work fine.