1032417 Autotrol 255 Air Check valve Float Chamber Kit 1/4 Thread

This is the genuine-spec Autotrol 255 series air check float chamber kit with a 1/4" male threaded connection, part number 1032417. Fitted in the regenerant line, the air check ball and seat stop air being drawn into the resin tank as brine refills during regeneration, keeping the fill cycle primed and the softener drawing brine correctly. The kit includes the check body, floating ball, screws, o-ring and a tube of silicone lubricant for a straightforward swap. A common wear item on 255-based valves, it's in stock at WrekinWater for UK softener owners and engineers.

Technical specifications

Symptoms that mean you need this part

• Softened water hardness matches the raw mains hardness after regeneration, suggesting the brine draw has failed
• The brine tank is slow to empty or the float ball inside the air check appears stuck down
• Air or spluttering is heard or felt in the pipework just after a regeneration cycle
• Brine is left standing in the salt tank cycle after cycle instead of being drawn down

Why it fails / why it matters

The 255 valve relies on the air check to hold prime in the regenerant line: as the eductor draws brine from the salt tank, the check ball seals to stop air being pulled back into the resin tank in its place, which would otherwise air-lock the system and stop brine reaching the resin bed. The ball and seat see constant wetting and drying between cycles, and grit or scale on the seat is enough to stop it sealing, so the kit is a normal service item rather than a sign of a failing valve. Once the seal is compromised the softener can run through a full regeneration without actually drawing any brine, so hardness passes straight through.

Why buy this from WrekinWater

WrekinWater has been supplying Pentair Fleck, Autotrol, Clack and Kinetico parts to UK households and engineers for more than 15 years from its base in Bettisfield, Shropshire, and carries this air check kit as a genuine-spec replacement rather than a generic substitute. Company No. 11000488, with an Excellent rating on Trustpilot, so a low-cost wear part like this arrives correctly matched to your 255 valve rather than as a guess.

How to fit it

1. Put the control valve into bypass and relieve system pressure before starting work
2. Locate the air check assembly on the valve body, usually a small clear housing on the regenerant line connection
3. Remove the retaining screws and lift out the old check body, ball and o-ring
4. Fit the new o-ring supplied in the kit, lubricating it with the silicone provided
5. Insert the new check body and floating ball, then refit and tighten the retaining screws evenly
6. Take the valve out of bypass, run a manual regeneration, and confirm the brine tank draws down correctly