Soft start valve

A soft start valve for use with a fluid pump coupled with an electric motor for operation thereby, the pump having a pump outlet and operable to generate a pressure under load at the outlet, the motor being subject to startup current upon startup to operate the pump, said valve comprising:

• a valve body having walls defining a fluid chamber having an inlet configured for fluidically coupling with the pump outlet to receive fluid therefrom and defining a valve seat spaced from said inlet;
• a valve operator positioned in said chamber and shiftable therein between said inlet and said seat, said operator and walls being configured to provide a fluid seal therebetween;
• and
• biasing means biasing said operator towards said inlet to provide a start pressure, less than the pump pressure under load, at said inlet and thereby at said pump outlet during startup and during shifting of said operator toward said seat,
• said chamber presenting a volume sufficient for said valve to provide said start pressure long enough for the motor to begin rotation during startup in order to reduce the startup current,
• said biasing means including an axially shiftable rod extending through said opposed end of said chamber, said rod including an inboard end configured, to engage said ball, said ball being positioned between said inlet and said inboard end, and including a spring coiled about said rod to prevent kinking of said spring and configured to bias said inboard end toward said inlet and thereby bias said ball toward said inlet.