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Re: gate or ball valve for house water lines?

To: Mark Andy <mark@sccaprepared.com>
Subject: Re: gate or ball valve for house water lines?
From: nick brearley <nick@landform.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 17:16:26 +0100
At 15:28 29/08/2006, Mark Andy wrote:

>Howdy,
>
>So what's the general group think on which type of valve to choose 
>for house water lines?  Gate (I think they are... The ones with the 
>little handwheel) or 1/4 turn ball valves?
>
>I _hate_ having all these old valves in our house (built in the 
>50's) that can't be shut off /on without leaking around the 
>stem.  Don't talk to me about tightening packing nuts either... On 
>the old valves, I can tighten the damn things until I think I'm 
>going to snap something and they still leak a little.
>
>Are the 1/4 turn ball valves better in this respect?  Basically I 
>want a valve I can leave fully on or fully off for 30 years then 
>need to shut it off and expect it to work flawlessly.
>
>Any pointers?

Hi Mark,

For long life (15 yrs) in irrigation systems we have used Saunders 
diaphragm valves with success. See

http://www.saundersvalves.com/site/index.php?article=20&recno=19

Try the Type A, available in more sizes than you are likely to need 
with flanges or BSP threads. Made over here in the UK (probably China 
now or very soon...) but according to the website handled in the US by

http://www.xomox.com/Xomox/htdocs/index.html

Can't guarantee 30 yrs but the design and materials are simple enough 
that I'd be inclined to give it a try.

Nick Brearley 




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