Hudson Valve 1/2" Self-Contained Automatic Water Float Valve VSG | Use for Pond Auto Fill, Livestock Tanks, Fountains, Troughs, Swimming Pools and More | Water Tank Float Valve

I travel frequently, so I have a concern when it comes to my pool water level. In the fall and winter, the water evaporates about 1/2" per day. So, I need a automatic pool filler. Online, these things are ridiculously expensive for what they are. So, I decided to make my own using this valve. I made it out pvc pipe and put it in the pool. It appeared to work as advertised. Unfortunately, the spigot that supplied the water had sprung a leak and I had to go out of town for several day. The spigot and apparatus had to wait. I disconnected everything and went on my way. I got home later in the week and repaired the spigot. I hooked up the hose and placed the pool filler in the water and turned it on. Water flowed as it should have. About and hour or two later, I went to check to see if the valve had shut off. It was still running with the water about 3" up the valve. What the heck! It worked the first time I tried it. I tried shutting the water on and off and moving the float up and down but neither worked. I was a little discouraged to say the least.So before making a phone call the Hudson, I went on their website to look for a troubleshooting section and did some reading. I am on municipal water so that should not be an issue. They mention any type of obstruction being an issue. This also should not be an issue as everything is new. But, I should look anyway. Maybe some teflon tape or something got in it. I proceeded to unscrew the valve from the filler. I looked in the top and there was a gray mass of crap in the top. Huh? So, I started to pull it out before realizing what it was. It was a small lizard. Yes, a lizard. Evidently, when I disconnected the hose earlier in the week from the unit I just left the whole thing sitting by the pool. When I put it together later in the week, the lizard was in the pipe. He was doomed.I proceeded to take the unit apart and clean out the remains. It is a simple unit and this was quite easy to do. I put it back together and re-installed it on the filler. Put in the pool and it shut off immediately as it should.Ever since the incident, as it has become know as, the valve has worked flawlessly. I now have confidence that I can leave the unit alone in the pool and leave town without worrying about an overflow and waste of water.I know this is more of a story than a review, but be assured I am happy with the valve. I have since been asked to build another pool filler for a friend. I will utilize the same valve for his.Bob

These make great pool filler float valves. The first one lasted a long time. Eventually it stuck open, and in the process of cleaning it, it cracked around the retaining screw, so I figured it was a good time for a replacement.BTW I have a garden hose timer on the faucet, set to open 15 minutes every 12 hours, so when the valve sticks open I don't get a flooded yard.

This is the second Hudson valve I have purchased for my pond. The first lasted a couple of seasons and, while I was disappointed it didn't last longer, it worked very well. The first one literally fell apart and I lost some of the internals. I ordered a second valve and installed it before I left on a trip. Upon my return, I found the pond was overflowing. I took the valve out and noticed that the float occasionally would not properly shut off the water flow. I took the valve apart and, finding nothing obviously wrong, compared the float to the float in the previous valve. There had been a design change in the float. The photo shows the new design on the left (barrel shaped) and the old design on the right. I installed the old float in the new valve and it works fine now. I sent a note to Hudson explaining what happened and got a reply from Leslie stating: "It was a height issue and it has been resolved. The new float is much easier to place correctly into the body, if you like I can send a can send a corrected 1/2" float if you provide an address." I thanked Leslie and agreed the new float is much easier to assemble than the old design. I also gave her my address and asked for a replacement. I did not ask why they were still selling the new design if they know it is defective. If yours doesn't work reliably, you might inquire about the float design.Update: I received the re-designed float for the new valve from Hudson. Side by side with the float that came originally with the new valve, they are identical except that the replacement float (on left in pic) is a little darker color. Leslie (Hudson) said the problem with the original float was a "height issue" which had been resolved. Honestly, I was skeptical. I got out my micrometer and made several comparison measurements. The only difference I could find was indeed the overall height. The replacement float is about 6 mils (0.006") taller than the original float. Still skeptical, I repeatedly swapped the floats in and out of the valve and exercised the floats. After several swaps, I came to the conclusion that the replacement float did not have the same tendency to "stick" or "hang up" as did the original. The original float is going in the recycle bin.Updated Update: I just received from Hudson the reason I got (and others may still receive) a faulty valve. When I thanked them for addressing my issue and stated I hoped others did not run into the same problem, they responded that they discovered the issue after the first shipment and that not "all fail or 'stick'". I interpret this to mean that, while they were aware of the issue, and made changes to address it, they were not going to concern themselves with the defective products already shipped unless someone complained, as I did.Bottom line, this is a good product. But, if it does not control reliably, there may be a design issue that Hudson is fully aware, and has addressed. But they have not felt it worthy to recall the faulty designed units already shipped.

I am a professional landscape contractor in northern California. I build ponds & waterfalls, and this is my choice for automatic filling shut off valves. It is simple to install if you follow the directions. Be careful not to over tighten the valve and crack the housing. The new design has eliminated the brass insert threads with a heavy duty plastic collar. Since these are installed with plastic nipples, the plastic collar should work better than the older design. Just be sure to use teflon tape around the nipple to ease the fit and make t water tight.

This is an updated review of this product. I originally thought it was working as expected but noticed the pond water level slowly creeping up. Every day it was a little higher even though the float valve was fully submerged. All I can figure is the strainer/filter let something through and it caused the valve not to close fully. It's not something that can be disassembled so it's toast.