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Andair

agent4573

Well Known Member
The product looks good and should hopefully last. The business itself was horrible to deal with. Hopefully I never need replacement parts or a rebuild or I'll be stuck on the ground for months. This is currently the only company making a valve that supports a high flow full return type fuel system, so your stuck with them if you want to run SDS or other automotive style EFI systems. My experience is detailed below.

July 24 - Order placed.
July 27 - Order acknowledged with 6 week lead time estimate.
September 29 - Emailed for update, no response.
October 7 - Emailed for update, no response.
October 15 - International phone call on Thursday. Told it would be built Monday and shipped by end of the next week.
November 5 - order actually ships.
 
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I have dealt with Andair directly on several occasions and have always received good service and great products, and I really couldn't be more distant from them.

I know UK is struggling with Covid at the moment and I believe have been going in and out of lock down throughout the year. It's no secret that Andair is a small family company and their email response times can be variable, but nowadays a phone call even to the other side of the world is an easy option.

I have always found their products to be good quality.
 
I sent them an email with a few questions and they responded within a day. I bought the parts from Van's and Aircraft Spruce to avoid slow international shipping, but I did find they were quick to give me the answers I needed.
 
I sent them an email two weeks ago asking about the elastomers that they use in their valves and it has been dead quiet. Trying to verify the compatibility with 10% ethanol fuels.

Does anyone know if they use Viton for their O-rings?
 
At least the fuel filter o-ring is viton 75. Don’t know about anything else.
BTW- I have called Andair several times in the past and always had a friendly conversation and received a prompt response to my requests.:cool:
 
Pile on to my experience with Andair. I ordered some replacement AN fittings to go with the TS Flightlines fuel hoses and just installed them today (Needed some 90 degree fittings and I ordered all straight fittings originally). It really irks me that the replacement fittings get shipped with allen head bolts while the original valve gets assembled with T10 torx fasteners. Its currently assembled, but now I have to order additional parts from spruce just so all the hardware from a single supplier matches. It might be nit-picking, but its seriously frustrating.
 
On my RV14A the pump was working but noisy from the beginning.
During my last annual in October I sent the pump to Andair, and they upgrade it to the latest version at no charge.
 
excellent experience

I have found Andair excellent to deal with, responsive and helpful. Bought a gascolator years ago, recently wanted to swap the fittings for different ones, contacted them, they replied promptly and offered to exchange the fittings, no charge.
Bill Brooks,
Ottawa, Canada
 
Alternative valve

Paul---not exactly a correct statement. Newton makes a V9 valve with a return for both tanks. We did and install for 1 client about a year ago on an RV10. Lots of changes vs. the Andair that we normally use. The port spacing is very close together, making it necessary to use their banjo fittings. We also had to change the tunnel to valve plumbing---and note that it was very tight due to the orientation of the banjos, and our connecting hose ends.
WE have NOT done any mockups for the RV7/9's or the RV14, but conceivebly can be done.

Spruce does stock the V9 valves, and it uses NPT/NPS fittings which give some extra variety of possible connection fittings.

Tom
 

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Tom,

I've got no dog in this hunt. But AFAIK, the Newton valves only have 1/4" openings, not the 3/8" openings that SDS and EFII require for their high-flow purposes. Right, wrong, fake news, ... ?
 
I don't pay attention to the news...

I use a Newton V3 duplex valve on my current SDS equipped 6A and have had no issues what so ever with flow, either direction. Its the RV in Ross's latest video.

The 3/8" (-6) line size is referring to the OD of the aluminum fuel line in most fuel systems. The ID of these lines are about .295". The average fuel line fitting (AN816-6D, AN832-6D, AN815-6D etc.) ID is nominally .292". A steel AN816-6 I measured had an ID of .271". The Newton fittings looked about the same ID for their -6 return fittings if I recall.

Also, the last SDS EI/EFI system I installed was a IO550 that had -6 delivery lines and -4 return lines (normal Continental set-up), but in this case was an Andair valve on it. Again, no flow issues.
 
Paul---not exactly a correct statement. Newton makes a V9 valve with a return for both tanks. We did and install for 1 client about a year ago on an RV10. Lots of changes vs. the Andair that we normally use. The port spacing is very close together, making it necessary to use their banjo fittings. We also had to change the tunnel to valve plumbing---and note that it was very tight due to the orientation of the banjos, and our connecting hose ends.
WE have NOT done any mockups for the RV7/9's or the RV14, but conceivebly can be done.

Spruce does stock the V9 valves, and it uses NPT/NPS fittings which give some extra variety of possible connection fittings.

Tom

I called and spoke with Newton about using the V9 valve. They recommended against it with the SDS system. I know we're experimental and can likely get away with a lot that isn't recommended, but it just didn't sit right with me. They said the V10 valve was still under development and couldn't give me an idea of when it would be available, leaving the only option as the Andair.
 
This thread quickly morphed from the OP's dissatisfaction with Andair's customer service, so I thought I would post my recent experience.
Last Friday evening (Andair was already closed for the weekend) I placed an online order for some 90* fittings for my fuel valve. Saturday I had an automated email response acknowledging my order, and Monday morning I had an email confirmation that my order has shipped, along with the FedEx tracking number. That's great customer service and communication. Hopefully they are getting back to business as usual during these difficult times.
 
I made the order at the beggining of december I wrote a lot of times information about my order and or they didn t replay at my email or they told me next week I will ship the order, I made the payment 1 month ago because they told me the order was ready to ship , but now they didn t ship it , I ve never told to them I need the order immediately,
 
Great Service!

Just an update to my post on 02/09. My order was placed on Friday when the business was closed, and my package arrived via FedEx the following Friday. That's pretty awesome customer service IMHO. Seven days from order to delivery, England to Michigan!
 
David---that is excellent service. I think most of us are talking about completed valves, not just parts.
BUT hopefully things are begining to return to some normalcy at Andair.

OH---I missed the post from Scott Balmos about the fitting sizes--
Scott we use the bolt on -6 fittings, both the EF20s and MF20s in all of our SDS/EFii installs for both the supply and return. NO issues.

Tom
 
Interesting, Tom! I'll have to keep around a note about that. I've got one fitting on my Andair that very slowly drips when that tank is full. So I just burn off the top of that tank first. But maybe I'll switch to a Newton during winter maintenance if I ever get really annoyed enough some year down the road.
 
Well I've got dogs in the hunt. When realizing I needed an Andair 6 port valve for my SDS injection installation. Called around and found Andair 6-8 weeks out. (BUT they did respond to my email the next day)
I called Van's and they had 4 in stock. Well, after I got through they only had 2. That was 3 weeks ago.
Drove down and got the gem. It was cheaper at Van's than across the pond.
I like the valve but really wish I had the banjo fittings on the Newton.
Art
 
David---that is excellent service. I think most of us are talking about completed valves, not just parts.
BUT hopefully things are begining to return to some normalcy at Andair.

OH---I missed the post from Scott Balmos about the fitting sizes--
Scott we use the bolt on -6 fittings, both the EF20s and MF20s in all of our SDS/EFii installs for both the supply and return. NO issues.

Tom
I made the order for 4 gascolator brackets and 4 drain valves at the beginning of december and at today they didn't ship them, when I called andair, a lot of times , they told me The order will be shipped next week
 
I made the order at the beginning of december , 4 drain valves and 4 gascolator brackets 3 weeks ago I got 4 drain valves and 2 brackets
, it s not possible to have a part of the order after 5 months and I don t know when I will have the last 2 brackets , andair told me , they were able to ship it the week of 19 of april but now I haven t the last 2 brackets
 
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