1 1/2 Inch Ball Valve Leak: Repair vs Replacement - Longevity, Cost, & Gasket Considerations

Hello,

I started to leak a 1 1/2 inch ball valve without a gland after 10 years.

The cost of such a new valve is quite significant. The repair would involve disassembling it and replacing the gaskets on the shaft of the handle. The question is, will it last just as long? Replacing or repairing the valve involves draining some of the water from CO.

I have a question, what are you advising me? Replace the valve with which one? To fix? Has anyone repaired such a valve and how was it durable?

Below is a photo of the valve and a temporary leak protection.



Regards

Yes, some valves are made incorrectly, because the eccentric in the middle is too tight and it pushes against one of the axle walls and destroys the O-rings.

So when you take it apart, make some slack in the eccentric and replace the o-rings and you have years.

Don't rummage, just try to file a claim with Valvex. After all, they boast 25 years of warranty, I wonder how they will react.

Hello,

piotr_boncza wrote:

Don't rummage, just try to file a claim with Valvex. After all, they boast 25 years of warranty, I wonder how they will react.

I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the heating season to get it dismantled. I must admit that my body is closer to "my shirt" than my friend's curiosity. I haven't kept the receipt for 10 years. Respect for your colleague, because this is another option to consider.

Regards

Sending an email with a question only costs you some time. For the sake of their good name, they should react.

But replacing O-rings and loosening the gear does the job forever.

Hello,

101pawel wrote:

It all depends on the role this valve plays in the installation. If it is there "for the sake of principle", or if you perform the closing and opening operation once every few years (?), The repair would be limited to removing the knob and putting a rubber stopper on the protruding pin, and then tightening it with a pin. The plug must have a slight recess, possible to be drilled, so that it fits snugly onto the pin. It used to be like this in heating nodes, when it became fashionable to replace mushroom valves with ball valves, and these were made only with an O-ring seal; - sometimes it leaked after 10 years, but after 10 days. If, on the other hand, you use the valve often, I think you should rather buy a new one - of a better design. This cut bottle does not look too bad, it adds color to the installation

The valve is not used very often. But I don't like makeshift. It is likely to run more. The bottle works in this position. It does not fulfill its task when the valve is closed.

The valve, which is more often used, Valvex 1 1/4 without a gland, I replaced it 2 years ago, so it lasted 8 years. However, I have a rule that if a device breaks down, I never replace it with a device from the same company as shown in the photo on the handle of another valve. I recommend this rule to everyone . If not repair, what valve do you recommend to me?

Install valve with gland.

Hello,

lasl wrote:

Install valve with gland.

Will it last more than 10 years? It doesn't matter what company?

Regards

take the valve from the fittings, I will add that I have nothing for advertising ... generally one rule, do not take the cheapest

Hello,

pandamix wrote:

take the valve from the fittings, I will add that I have nothing for advertising ... generally one rule, do not take the cheapest

Why do you recommend it? Are you a plumber and have you used it?

Regards

yes, I am and I can confidently recommend it to you

Hello,

101pawel wrote:

You whine and whimper, as if the matter did not concern a primitive, elementary element of the installation. After all, no one makes a ranking of the reliability of such valves, just as there is no reliability list of a million other, more technically sophisticated and more expensive devices. For common sense, no one can recommend this or that company to you, because what is the result of the fact that each of us has from a dozen to several dozen valves in our home installations and it does not leak or does some leakage? The valve, indeed, its rubber gasket lasted you 10 years, is it not enough? For me, the best TV, clearly number 1 among models and brands, went out after a week! If you want reliability, put a bolt in its place, here you have it Link to the inexpensive one. Unfortunately, I don't know where it is on the top list.

Thanks for your willingness to help. I learned that there are also inexpensive gate valves of this size. Unfortunately, as you can see in the photos, the wheel of such a gate valve would probably block the handle of the second valve.

The main feature of the valve in the installation should be its reliability. Is it short or much 10 years? It is incomparable. The valve hasn't been used often, so I believe it should last for 15 years. If one of this company's valves had failed me, he probably would have thought the same way you do about your TV set. You could freely have the TV repaired. With the valve, I have to drain the water from the system and unscrew 3 Dutch and 2 screw connections, you have to get new gaskets, etc. At least an hour, 2 hours of work, and if it was under warranty, it's still time to settle this matter. I don't consider myself smarter than others, which is why I whine. :D

Regards

Hello, my friend, no one will recognize you as a guarantee if you have installations on ordinary water. Buy new valves with a good quality stuffing box and you will have peace of mind for years. Regards.

Hello,

It shows the status as of today. The valve remains in the open position and does not leak yet. But the bottle was substituted. Possible leakage would fall on the CO furnace flue and destroy the silicone paint.

I tried to remove the handle and turn the valve 180 degrees, it didn't help and I went back to the old position.

DJ ANNUS wrote:

Yes, some valves are made incorrectly, because the eccentric in the middle is too tight and it pushes against one of the axle walls and destroys the O-rings.

So when you take it apart, make some slack in the eccentric and replace the o-rings and you have years.

After checking the valve, he finds that the fault is not a tight eccentric, but a play between the handle and the valve head. The long handle causes the axle to skew and uneven pressure on the O-rings.

It is not allowed to replace it as long as possible, because the stove is 10 years old and it may leak ...

At the moment, a colleague's advice 101pavel it makes the most sense, i.e. reducing the play and skew of the valve shaft ...

Regards

Hello,

Valve still unrepaired. As of today. The valve remains in the open position and does not leak yet.

Hello.
I am new here and I would like to hook up to the topic. Namely, I have a similar problem of a leaky valve without a gland.
My question is whether I can replace the valve head without unscrewing the valve from the installation. Second thing if I have to replace the entire valve, is it necessary to drain the water from the heating system?
IMG_20190313_063309.jpg

Friend, if you are sure that the shown valve does not have a gland, you checked after removing the handle. It looks to me that these valves have stuffing boxes. greetings.

I also had the impression that this valve has a throttle. You would have to tighten it. But if there is none, then you will not need to unscrew the valve and drain the water. Theoretically, such a valve can be repaired, you need to unscrew it, remove the ball, then the spindle with o-rings and replace the rubber o-rings. However, I would not install the valve without a gland in a place where a lot of water has to be drained to replace the valve.

I will just add that I still have not replaced my valve, unfortunately it has started to leak for a month.

roman18 valve does not have a gland, it is valvex but is 15 or more years old. If he had a gland, there would be no problem because the leak is between the handle and the valve. And of course I was removing the handle, moreover, whether the valve has a gland or not visible and without removing the handle. Besides, there is no thread inside the valve.
Sstalone I will not play with the repair, the cost of the entire valve with a gland from Invena is about PLN 35-40. So of course I'll buy a new one. There is a gravity check valve next to the furnace, when there is no electricity and the pump does not work, it lets off water. I do not know about the construction of this valve, but I thought that thanks to it I would not have to drain the water from the entire installation .... thank you for your interest and suggestions, best regards.

ORZEŁ 80 wrote:

I thought that thanks to him I would not have to drain the water from the entire installation

In order to limit the water outflow from the system, if you have cut-off valves by radiators, close the valves on the supply and return of each radiator, then in the worst case water will flow only from the pipes themselves.

Bucks, thanks for your interest in the topic. Unfortunately, I have an old installation and there are no shut-off valves ... Anyway, the problem is over. I bought the Invena valve today Saturday - free, so I drained the water from the system, replaced this valve, but having learned from experience, I put on one with a gland in order not to drain all the water in the future.
PS it was not without a small flood in the attic .... I have an open system and the excess water flows into the bucket from the selective vessel ... When water is released - because the installations of 3 floors of a single-family house fills up for a while, I took up something else, and when I remembered that the water was still running ..... I was collecting 3 buckets of water from the parquet which drained from the attic to the top floor . Thank you for your advice, best regards.

By the way, we do not repair gas valves, i.e. the rule!

Maybe it will be useful to someone in the future. At my exit from the boiler, the valve started to leak. Little used valve, so it makes no sense to drain the water, flood, bleed again, etc. I rolled out a polyurethane (elastomer) gasket and put it between the valve and the levers. I turned it with a lever screw and in the third season there is not even a drop. That's it. Fota will say more than describing, so I attach a photo.

Tip. Ball valves are reliable, better than mushroom valves, but you have to choose the ones with a throttle, not just the cheapest, the worst. In the case of a valve with a throttle, it is possible to perform a simple repair (replacement of the O-ring).

You can get a doctorate in any field, yes, you can stand and watch your hands. But it is a bit difficult for "Kowalski" to make a doctorate out of everything. However, it's hard to disagree that many things are made with cheap components and the flowers come out after x years. A temporary solution - instead of putting bottles or buckets on it, it is enough to seal it and there is no problem. Replacement for such a valve with a throttle yes, but by the way, not immediately. The valve I showed is at my outlet from the boiler in front of the central heating pump. The second is behind the pump. They were to serve as a possible shutdown of the system in order to replace the pump. The pump has been in operation for 20 years and one valve is leaking. Life .......

senio wrote:

The pump has been in operation for 20 years and one valve is leaking. Life .......

When you buy a new electronic pump, be aware that you can replace several pumps during the life of the valve, so give the valve a new one, because it will probably be used more often than now.

BUCKS wrote:

How do you buy a new electronic pump

For what purpose? My heating was made in the 90's, in the days of 2.5 inch pipes and gravity. At the moment, these pipes are no longer there, because wherever possible, there is a ponytail and one and only pump at the outlet of the boiler. The radiators are 160 cast iron pieces and I do not expect any changes. So why an electronic pump for that? Even the 3D valve is as simple as possible. Return thread is inserted in front of the pump with valve. I open the need, I don't open it. It has been working flawlessly for years. Those who have heat pumps, gas, floor heating and other wonders of technology, let them install electronic pumps, valves, computers and wonders of garlands. I will stay with what I have. Simple and effective, and in the event of a power outage, gravity will also go. Slowly because slowly but it is walking.