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Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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Posted by
sail (
windsailor97@yahoo.com) on
Sun, Mar 14, 10 at 11:47
| Hi All,
I have two baths in my home. One shower seems to go through the hot water a LOT faster than the other. The shower valve is a lower flow model already. The water hog bath is isolated with a ball valve. Can I turn it a 1/4 turn to control flow without killing the valve over time? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| Per ASTM specs, a ball valve is a full flow valve and it is not to be used as a throttling valve. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I do it for my bathroom sink and have no problems. I wouldnt worry about astm specs. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I used ball valves on a commercial boiler bypass system so I could see, using the handles as a guide, when one line was shunted about 50%. The state inspector did note that when a ball valve is used in any position but full open, it can erode and become ineffective. What you propose to do in your shower is exactly what I did 30+ years ago in my shower. It slowed down the shower water to 3/4 gallon a minute and then I never cared how long the kids stood under it. The valve lasted until a few months ago when I tore out the old shower. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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I'm also using ball valves now for throttling.
I'm looking into alternatives.
I've read that globe valves are good for throttling. I read that on http://www.terrylove.com/forums/
But internet searching doesn't give me many results so far.
So, ?. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| If you use ball or gate valves to throttle you may find out they no longer seal if you need to close them. Globe valves are designed for throttling applications. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I need to replace a hose bibb and the salesman at my local plumbing store (not a big box) recommended a quarter turn ball valve hose bibb. He said that it is longer lasting than a gate valve. I asked about controlling the flow of water from the bibb and he said it was just as controllable as a gate valve. I saw this discussion and didn't know if any of the comments above would apply to a hose bibb. At any rate with fear of hijacking this thread, I would appreciate feedback. Thanks. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I think most people open the valve all the way, so I might be tempted to buy one. At most slower rates, you should be able to get close, but at the trickle stage, I think you might have a problem. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| buy a low flow washer gasket and place between the shower head and the threaded pipe coming from the wall. Or, get a solid gasket and drill holes in it until you get the flow you want from the head. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I have never heard of a "low flow washer gasket"? Is this merely a hard rubber washer with a small orifice? |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| Why not get a good low-flow shower head instead? You'll have a better chance of a decent spray than you will throttling the feed to a standard shower head, regardless of what it does to the ball valve over time. Personally, I think the ball valve would throttle fine unless you have enough pressure drop across it for cavitation to happen. |
RE: Ball Valve as Flow Reduser?
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| I had one back in the '70s. They limited the flow to 1 1/2 gpm........back then. |
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