Best Features To Look For In Stainless Steel Ball Valves For Water Lines
Posted on: 14 April 2019
Adding a stainless steel ball valve to a water line allows the water flowing through the line to be disrupted or blocked off as needed. For example, you may have a water line that feeds a water storage tank and you will need a valve to shut off teh flow of water when the tank gets filled. If you are in the process of installing one of these valves on a water line, it is important to know how to find the best options. Here are a few features to be looking for while you shop.
Look for valves that are made with lead-free materials.
When you are installing a valve on a water line, it is highly important that the components in the valve are just as good for water quality as the other pipes being used. One thing that some stainless steel valves don't have is a lead-free composition, which would mean they would not be good to use on a water line. Just check the specs of any ball valve you are considering to make sure it does not contain any lead at all, either in the valve's main housing or the parts that hold it together.
Make sure the valve has durable seals and seats inside.
Water is often disregarded as a material that can be hard on the interior components of a pipe, but it really can be. Not to mention, water is one of the least viscous materials there is and can leak out so easily. Because of these attributes, it is important to make sure that any stainless steel ball valve you are considering is made with durable seats and seals inside. For instance, some of the highest-grade valves have Teflon seals and seats because they do not break down easily.
Look for an extended valve lever with a rubber coating.
In plumbing and water line applications, turning the valve on and off is probably going to be a frequent action. Therefore, the handle for the valve that you choose for the project should have a nice extended handle that is easy to grasp and maneuver. The highest quality stainless steel valves for water line applications tend to have an elongated handle that is coated in a rubber material so the lever is pretty easy to grasp and turn on and off. These are the best options for the application, especially in residential settings.
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