A valve member for an air eliminator is a flexible band or reed secured at one end to a movable float and at the other end to the housing adjacent a valve seat surrounding a port therein. A flexible sealing band formed of a resilient material overlies and is coextensive with the flexible band to provide a hermetic seal around the valve port when the float moves into a valve closing position. The sealing band is apertured where it overlies the port to equalize the pressure across the sealing band when it is positioned over the port.