Ball brass crane

Installation of any pipelines is impossible without the use of specialized valves. Brass structures as locking devices have been used for more than 100 years, but the ball brass faucet began to be used on a mass basis only for the last 15 to 20 years. We will speak further about its merits, as well as the subtleties of choice.

Main settings

Today, a brass ball valve is installed on water, gas and other pipeline structures in more than 50% of cases. Naturally, the range of such equipment is quite wide. When installing by hand, it is desirable to know the basic characteristics and scope of use of such cranes.

Initially, such structures are divided into 4 main areas: these are flange, choke, coupling and welded. Kohl us more interested in domestic use, we will consider the brass ball valve, because it is used in municipal and domestic water supply.

As for the other areas, the flange design is more common in the gas sector, and choke and weld designs are used in the petrochemical industry.

Principle of operation of the crane

Any competent engineer will tell you that the simpler the design, the higher the likelihood of its long-term reliable operation. The ball clutch gate valve in this case is the perfect confirmation of this law.

The principle of operation is nowhere easier. The valve itself blocking the movement of the passing substance is a hollow ball with a through side opening. The cross section of this hole is usually equal to the cross section of the pipe.

The body of the crane is clearly tailored to the size of the valve sphere. As a result, is it enough to turn the ball 90? and the movement in the pipe will be completely blocked. Such a construction is sometimes called half-turn.

Important: according to a similar principle, a brass decorative crane with a joystick regulator can work. Only there, in the ball, 2 inlets are made for cold and hot water. And one output through which the mixed fluid is supplied to the consumer.

General characteristics and advantages

• According to most experts, the main advantage of such structures, of course, is their high level of tightness. In particular, brass ball clutch gate valves according to GOST 9544-93, fully comply with the tightness class "A", which indicates their reliability and excellent quality.
• As for the use of such taps in everyday life, compared to their competitors, brass taps for plumbing are deservedly considered the most durable and lightweight.

Tip: all products can be made in two ways, it is by casting and forging or pressing. So, it is better to give preference to extruded or forged cranes, since after compression there are no micro cavities left in the body of the crane and the quality of the product increases significantly.

• Brass has its own characteristics, one of which is a rigid temperature framework. Brass ball valve according to GOST 9544-93, can normally be operated in the operating temperature range from -60? C to +20 0? C. It is not always suitable for industrial units, but ideally meets the requirements of everyday life.
• Such shut-off valves withstand pressure inside the system up to 1.6 MPa. It is quite enough for installation in the apartment or the private house.

• After installation, such locking mechanisms do not require additional maintenance.. In other words, they do not need regular lubrication or any other preventive actions.
• Not the last role is played by elementary simple installation instructions do-it-yourself. In order to install such a crane does not require deep, fundamental knowledge.
• Brass taps for plumbing do not corrode. In addition to the fact that brass itself is practically not oxidized, still the leading manufacturers cover the working surfaces of the structures with special electroplating.

A few words about the installation

• Initially, it should be noted that the location of the crane itself is absolutely irrelevant, the main thing is that it was convenient to mount it and nothing prevented the movement of the handle.
• The valve can have internal, on both sides threads, or external on both sides threads, there is also a mixed version, when on one side the thread is external and on the other side is internal. So decide which option you need.
• On the open thread, regardless of whether it is on the valve itself or on the pipe, the sealing tape should be wound. As a rule, 3–5 turns in the course of pipe thread turning are sufficient.

Tip: if the thread is screwed in freely, then the sealing tape should still be reeled. You need to twist with a little effort, and after screwing in, a small part of the tape should be squeezed out.

Tips for choosing a crane

Since now in any construction market or in a supermarket of this good in bulk, we have taken it upon ourselves to designate the main selection criteria. Indeed, along with a quality product, there are quite a few fakes.

First of all, you need to carefully inspect the body of the product. It should be smooth and not particularly massive. On the surface there should be no rough edges or flows. As mentioned earlier, taps can be made by casting and pressing. Thick walls and flows speak just about cast billet. The price of this product is lower, but the quality is much worse.

Next you need to understand the intricacies of marking. PN letters characterize the maximum pressure level a crane can withstand. Here already, the bigger the number, the better. The diameter is denoted by the letters DN, and in this case refers to the internal diameter of the hole and is measured in millimeters.

Important: some, in order to save money on straight sections of the highway, they install a 11b6bk brass cone valve, this is an outdated model and you should not do this. All its main characteristics are almost half lower than those of the ball counterparts. Plus, the savings will be very small.

Reputable manufacturers must indicate on the case of the product the brand of brass from which it is made. The highest criterion for the quality of a foreign product is the CW617N brand. At the moment it is the most suitable for use in plumbing or heating systems.

As for domestic analogues, it corresponds to the brand brass LS59-1. According to the requirements of standards, this alloy consists of 58% copper, 40% zinc and 2% lead added. Of course, a fake can have the same labeling, but you should still pay attention.

Directly under the handle there is a special nut, with the help of which the packing gland is adjusted. So high-quality teflon seals are white and must move freely along the stem. In fakes, a black rubber gasket is often installed, which causes a leak.

Important: when a leak occurs, the sealing nut simply tightens and tightens the seal. Teflon will move freely, but with a rubber seal, tightening the nut will be very problematic.

Pay attention to the ball valve itself. The surface of the sphere should be perfectly flat and have a mirror finish. The fact is that after manufacturing these parts are covered with nickel or are chrome plated, plus a diamond grinding stage is mandatory. Fakes can be immediately seen on the matte finish and even scratches.

But the mirror surface is not always a guarantee of high quality. The fact is that unscrupulous manufacturers can make a sphere out of tool steel, which is easily polished, naturally it will look like the original externally.

Recognize such a fake can only be using a magnet. As is known from the physics course, steel is attracted, brass is not. Steel cores are dangerous because they rust and quickly deteriorate.

Also, high-quality brass has more weight, silumin or zinc is much lighter and it is felt. If the body is chrome-plated or nickel-plated, the yellow color of brass will be visible only directly on the thread itself. Silumin will be white, zinc, silver.

On the original thing is always indicated the country of the manufacturer and the company logo. In forgeries, as a rule, one letter from the logo is skipped, so before going to the market, ask how the brand name is spelled correctly. The best are the Italian and Spanish cranes.

The video in this article gives tips on choosing this product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to note that if you purchased a truly original thing, then both the tap intended for the heating system and the ordinary brass garden tap will serve equally long and reliably.