Today's cheap plumbing valves

[Kays Supply]

I have yet to have a major damage issue with the valves. Most of the problems are very small drip leaks and valves that won't shut off or turn back on.

 

[kidstrustfund]

In this competitive environment I've installed valves made in china every day. I just knew which valves that gave me problems and stayed away from them. I have found that if the valve shuts off ok or doesn't leak outside the body that the failure rate was acceptable. Usually they won't break loose all of the sudden. You might have a problem from them not shutting off when you need. One of the problems from buying from a hardware store or box store is you have to be hudini to get their parts to work the way they should. This goes for many items not just valves. Plumbing is hard enough for a novice. When you throw in a bad part into the mix it makes things impossible. Water quality is a big deal. I can't tell you how many customers neglect water treatment until they sell the house. In the mean time their plumbing deteriorates. Don't worry about what you have installed already. Just adjust your purchasing the next time you do a job. Pay the freight and buy professional quality stuff. Now if I only would follow my own advise. Tom

 

[ultrarunner]

In CA... most everything made of Brass or Bronze can no longer be sold for potable water.

It does create a problem when you find the fixture or part you need can no longer be sold here.

 

[ultrarunner]

In CA... most everything made of Brass or Bronze can no longer be sold for potable water.

It does create a problem when you find the fixture or part you need can no longer be sold here.

At one time, the supply house sold a lot of Italian made Ball Valves. I've put in many without issue.

Last time I checked... they had a new line from China.

 

[kidstrustfund]

The problem with brass is it leaches heavy metals when the water quality has low ph. Keep your water ph 6.5 to 8.5 and New Jersey says your ok. Tom

 

[2manyrocks]

It's not just the valves. I have trouble getting any chinese galvanized fitting to not leak no matter what kind of pipe dope I put on it or how I tighten it. Maybe the metal is more brittle or maybe they don't cut the threads as precisely as the old USA fittings. I cringe whenever I see any chinese plumbing parts.

 

[Deere Dude]

alot of stuff is comng from china. buy from good plumbing house. There is a differance. always use ball valves with bleeders!

Why would you want to put a ball valve with a bleeder on a water line in a house. Air for sure, but not water.

I have put thousands of valves in, in a factory and we always bought hefty quality valves. Ball valves, gate valves, globe valves or whatever and for the most part had good luck but once in awhile something breaks, but those are used a lot and abused.
In my own houses I won't spend $25 for a valve when I can get a 1/2" or 3/4" valve for $5 at harbor freight or Menards. Most of the time you put a valve in and turn it on or off a few times in it's life. I must have put in a hundred of those over the years and never had a problem except one frozen one, and that one doesn't count. Although there is a quality difference.
But, I will use better heavier duty ball valves for 1" or larger mains from Menards and they work great. I know heavy is mostly better but if cheap works, go for it.
But that doesn't go for tractors.

 

[RobertBrown]

I have a ball valve that doesn't work. My dad recently passed away and I am taking care of his house which is now empty, I went to shut off the main water valve and nothing happend. The handle on the valve rotated normally but when I opened a faucet, the water flowed like normal.

Anything I can do besides replace the valve?

Seems to me it's more likely you either have the wrong valve or you have water supplied from 2 places or the supply is split. The pressure wil be at least greatly diminshed even with a valve that is malfuctioning. Before you go to the trouble to replace that valve I would look for others.

 

[RobertBrown]

What I just replaced today was a Nibco brand 3/4 inch full port ball valve with a bleeder, cost about $11.99 on sale reg price was several bucks more. Our water quality is a lot better than some. And for what it's worth there are almost no major plumbing supply dealers in this area outside of the box stores or Carter Lumber.

Nibco is of comparetively good quality and the valve you are describing is used as an isolation valve on a backflow preventer, the port is for testing the BFP. It's unlikely you will find a better quality valve at a home improvement center. Grainger will have some nice valves but your going to pay. Do you think that the valve may have frozen? Seems to me that is most likely why it cracked. Perhaps you need to find another location for the valve or provide heat or better insulation.

 

[JDgreen227]

Nibco is of comparetively good quality and the valve you are describing is used as an isolation valve on a backflow preventer, the port is for testing the BFP. It's unlikely you will find a better quality valve at a home improvement center. Grainger will have some nice valves but your going to pay. Do you think that the valve may have frozen? Seems to me that is most likely why it cracked. Perhaps you need to find another location for the valve or provide heat or better insulation.

Local Granger will not sell to public here. Nope, the valve is indoors, never gets below 67 degrees where it is. May have been a bad casting on the one I replaced. I kind of like bleeder type ball valves for plumbing as thry give you an easy way to drain water to either reduce pressure and/or drain water for soldering nearby joints.