Decent Quality Isolation Valves

[SirLancelot]

Here's their website.

https://flowflex.com/

I can't help but feel that you might just be over thinking this purchase a little bit.

Thank you for sharing the website.

This thread was conceived as an "Exploratory Topic".

The purpose being to explore, unpack and overthink the topic - so that new angles can be explored and new insights gained. It's the knowledge expansion I'm after - not just a quick part recommendation.

Example - A very interesting insight has come from the website you shared. When you look at the installation instructions provided:

"It is recommended that within the 1st year that valves should be visually inspected for leaks and that a complete manoeuvre cycle is carried out to check the valve and prevent scale from forming every 3 months."

The freeflow iso valves have a 5 year warranty - on condition that the olive used is the one supplied with the fitting at purchase.

With any isolation valves, I wonder what differentiates the high quality full bore iso's - from the poor ones.

What differs in their construction?

 

[johnny2007]

Pegler for me as well.
Never had one leaking.
And you just do the nut by hand plus half turn and you can feel the even grip.
Also even after years, they turn smoothly.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

It is recommended that within the 1st year that valves should be visually inspected for leaks and that a complete manoeuvre cycle is carried out to check the valve and prevent scale from forming every 3 months."

If you’re happy to go around visually and physically inspecting every valve you buy 3 monthly and sleeping with one eye open and a spanner under the pillow , you may as well get the cheap ones.

 

[SirLancelot]

If you’re happy to go around visually and physically inspecting every valve you buy 3 monthly and sleeping with one eye open and a spanner under the pillow , you may as well get the cheap ones.

Yup, that guidance kinda put me off the freeflows.

It's likely they are just covering their backs regarding locations with extreme scale.

I'm seeking to understand the engineering differences between HQ isolation valves & LQ ones?

 

[Madrab]

I wonder what differentiates the high quality full bore iso's

Invariably it's down to the manufacturing quality and tolerances of the stem seals and the teflon (PTFE) socket seals that the ball sits in and the construction quality.

Nice tutorial around spherical valves from Arrow

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr...lves.pdf/RK=2/RS=QezhPhTqCoXscQETLXk1E8_qLTk-

 

[SirLancelot]

Invariably it's down to the manufacturing quality and tolerances of the stem seals and the teflon (PTFE) socket seals that the ball sits in and the construction quality.

Nice tutorial around spherical valves from Arrow

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrJD9BxZwtiT28A5BhLBQx.;_ylu=Y29sbwNpcjIEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1644943345/RO=10/RU=https://www.arrowvalves.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/pdfs/Water_Regs_Tutorial_9-Isolating_Valves.pdf/RK=2/RS=QezhPhTqCoXscQETLXk1E8_qLTk-

One of the aspects you mention - PTFE stems seals & socket seals - seem to be one of the features that distinguish the better iso valves from the cheaper ones.

Also - sealing the stem - the way it is done & maintained throughout the working life of the valve - would be something to consider.

 

[Madrab]

One of the aspects you mention - PTFE stems seals & socket seals - seem to be one of the features that distinguish the better iso valves from the cheaper ones.

I would suggest so, like everything not every material is made equal from the PTFE used in the main seals to the EDPM used for the stem and the tolerances of the finished valve body that it all sits in. The better the manufacturing processes and quality control is then I would suggest the better the finished valve will be.

Obviously that all comes at a cost.

 

[johnny2007]

I would suggest so, like everything not every material is made equal from the PTFE used in the main seals to the EDPM used for the stem and the tolerances of the finished valve body that it all sits in. The better the manufacturing processes and quality control is then I would suggest the better the finished valve will be.

Obviously that all comes at a cost.

I've always preferred to spend more on quality parts than being called back.
This meant that many customers questioned my quotes because more expensive than others.
So I started listing main material brands in my quotes.
Example: once we were asked to repaint the outside of a house.
When there the woman mentioned that it had only been painted a couple of years before, but was already flaking.
On closer inspection they had used a mix of whatever white paint they could get, emulsion, masonry and worst of all gloss white at the bottom front.
That created a damp spot probably because the wall wasn't breathing.
She then questioned why our quote was 3 times that of the previous people.
No kidding.
Eventually she thought better to use our services.
The amount of sanding and paint stripping was atrocious, 4 days 2 labourers.
I felt sorry for them and gave them the friday off.
This is to say: penny wise pound foolish...
Going back to the valves, for £4 extra I strongly suggest you go for pegler, you won't regret it.

 

[SirLancelot]

The responses on this thread have opened up the topic & expanded on the differences between brands/makes/quality.

What's clear - is that decent isolation valves cost more for a reason.

I came across this webinar on youtube from Altecnic.

I am directly asking the community for their thoughts on the aspects discussed in it:

Three aspects that have been mentioned in the thread that seem to stand out:

A)The use of epdm rubber instead of cheaper materials.

B) PTFE seals - are more robust and higher quality ball seals.

C) The stem seals are important. In the webinar, he mentions that multiple stem seals are present - ..'dual o-rings'.

D) The ability to disassemble the valves to maintain them.

(Please remember - this thread is conceived as an exploratory thread. The aim is to discuss, explore and learn more about the topic of isolation valve engineering/quality).

 

[Schrayder]

Does anyone on this thread work for a manufacturer of Iso's?

 

[SirLancelot]

The video is from a company named Altecnic.

After seeking videos from conex & pegler (options suggested on the thread) - I could not find any from them that explained the differences between Hq & Lq iso's.

This video came up as a suggestion.

In it, theory & engineering principles are directly addressed (which I could not find elsewhere).

I have shared it because it is info rich - and i'm hoping it will spur others to further our exploration of this topic.

 

[SirLancelot]

It looks like this topic has been visited before:

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/decent-quality-isolation-valves.324628/

There is alot of discussion about the original ballofix company (before it was sold) & a company called 'Cottam & Preedy'.

They have also created an iso valve called the 'wonder-valve'.

Does anyone have any experience with in using them?

 

[SirLancelot]

Where can I source genuine peglers or connex iso's at best price?

 

[opps]

Nothing wrong with screwfix ones. Never had a leak.

Not Screwfix, but I did once have a Toolstation no name lever valve that snapped after a year and caused £6000 of damage. I now only buy Pegler. I may try Connex as well based on the recommendations.






When I showed the pictures to people that know more about metals than me, they suggested that the crystal-like nature of the metal was evidence of it being poorly cast.

The only saving grace was that it snapped at the "demand" side rather than the supply side which means that the customer's mother was able to stop the flow of mains pressure water.

 

[SirLancelot]

Does anyone recognise the brand in the pics above?