Last month I installed 2- 3/4" Copper Ball Valves on a new Hot water Zone I created. I was careful soldering them and used Locking Pliers and wash clothes to keep them cool. The manufacturer stated they need to be half open when soldering. Fortunately that part of the job was great. I had trouble with a "T" fitting because I used overkill in keeping 2 sides cool while soldering the 3rd side. The house shut off here is a 60+ year old Gate Valve which is cranky to turn and I have used Channel Locks on it in the past to do so. Now I am educated on its potential for trouble. Thanks.
Good information and very timely for me. I am preparing to make my own outdoor shower and this has proven very useful. Thank you for sharing your insights via this video.
I work in HVAC, boiler rooms, cooling towers etc. I've have _more_ grief from ball valves that gate valves. Ball valves can stick, bypass (leak), the handles quickly rust and fail. The shafts rust and seize. I've had ball valves bypass in the first year.
Absolutely right about gate valve. Gate valves are flawed by design and will not last. Every single one of gate valve that I had failed and failed miserably. Ball valves are much more reliable by design and will last a long long time.
It's amazing that the makers of the gate valve, haven't sought to improve or compensate for these defects or faults all this time, as I'm sure they have had a lot of complaints by now
I’ve had to replace numerous 2 to 3 inch gate valves on commercial irrigation systems because they were never exercised &won’t shut water off entirely. Sometimes I would get lucky &can replace insides. I definitely prefer ball valves but I think gate valves are somewhat ok if exercised regularly
My house was plumbed in the 1980's. About half the valves are the gate style and half are ball valves. Every single ball valve is corroded and won't turn. I've tried tricks and tips from online sources and they don't work. They won't budge an inch and if I try any harder I'm going to break something. Meanwhile, all the gate valves work fine.
In UK we use a stop cock valve in the home on mains water (which also sieze up) not a gate valve, domestic gate valves are used on tank fed low pressure systems.. But of course the ball valve looks to be a good replacement, especially as I've just had a gate valve fail in the locked off position, so have to drain down the tank to replace it, will look at obtaining a ball valve, thanks for the info..
I've had a gate valve on my well head for 20 years and it works fine. I turn it a few times a year, which could be why it hasn't froze up, but the well water isn't the cleanest either.
Would you recommend 2 ball valves under a kitchen sink to replace 2 frozen in the closed position gate valves???? I have Unfiltered Well Water.......any Information Would Be Appreciated!!!! Thank You!!!! Great video!!!!
Great explanation! I live in south florida, the outside shut off valve , I have replaced e the guts, will it still seal properly? I still have small Drip when replacing bathroom plumbing and shut off valve closed? Please help, any ideas?
Its interesting, So apparently i had a gate valve? So i was turning the water on and off in our new house to fix some things when turning one off i heard something in the middle crack and then the valve no longer worked and the water was both leaking and going forth. So I figured i'd order a new one, so i went and bought a new labeled Ball valve but aparently i must of had a gate valve but event though i guessed what it was wrongly i still ordered the right piece. lol
The vales that are used for residential use are required to be 'Full Port' valves meaning when fully open, they are the same size opening as the pipe it is serving. the ball valves have a smoother flow path than the gate valves so the flow through would be better with a ball valve.
I had a gate valve replaced with a ball valve but instead of the easy quarter turn like the old one, they put on a plastic one that my weak hands can't turn. He said it won't rust like the other one but I'm a little frustrated. But my question is that this is a shutoff for a secondary water line and I'm not sure what maintenance I need to do when shutting it off for the winter. The plumber said I should do something but I can't remember what it was. Can you address this?
I'm sorry you have that issue. Having a valve that you can't turn is frustrating. They may be a better solution for you. About the winter maintenance, I think you're referring to "winterizing" your home. We don't do that in South Florida so I can't help you with that, unfortunately.
My main shut off inside my home (garage-I live in the Southwest) is a gate valve. I want to replace it with a ball valve. I don't feel comfortable soldiering inside the wall. Is a compression fitting okay to use in this situation? I'm going to cover the opening in the sheet rock with an access door.
Two cities I have lived in in Oregon require you to have your own valve after the meter. I am in the country now and hire rube Goldberg to design my plumbing, NOT. LOL
Gate valves are stilled used today for different scenarios. For instance, the larger the valve/pipe size, the harder it is to operate a ball valve by hand. Once the size of the valve exceeds about 2 1/2", the valve used is a gate valve. Anything larger would be very difficult to operate by hand. Also, the gate valves that are of larger size have a rubber seal inside to help positively shut off the water. ALSO, the water department is an old institution and the ball valve is a fairly new design comparatively. So, it would not make sense to change millions of valves just because they came out with a better design. They are however, changing from gate valves to quarter turn style valves at the meter before it enters your home whenever the valve needs to be replaced. At least here in Florida.
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice Are quarter turn style valves better than ball valves? I am looking to replace a gate valve for my main water shut-off. Thanks!
So the Ball valve is also brass with SS ball + PTFE seal but is more durable than a brass gate valve in terms of brass integrity & corrosion ????? I looked out for Bronze ball valve & even Full SS ball valve but they are prohibitively expensive compared to a brass ball valve...
Only advantage I have found if ball valves is easier/faster on/off. Other than that nor much and they can be damaged easily when installing (soldering) I just did one today and it leaked from the handle socket. I bet the heat damaged the lining
Anytime I have to get plumbing done I have the valve changed to ball valves. I don't care where it is. Toilet, sink I want All my valves to be ball, to me it's no competition, I've seen soooo many gate valves either leak, breakoff, or have to use pliers to turn it, then breaks off😅 screw gets loose, ball valve set it and forget it
I’m replacing a gate valve installed in 1981 with a new gate valve. I know from experience how long a gate valve lasts. I’ve had two ball valve handles seize so no thanks.
What I decided to do with all the external gate valves for hose connection was replace them with ball valves but in addition added an extra one between the meter and the house six inches away from the house turnoff valve so I could still have water thru a hose while working on a sink, bathtub, toilet, water heater etc. Just turn off the house valve and leave on the hose valve. See how long you can go without toilet water for 1 or 2. Replaced all those crappy little sink, toilet valves with small ball valves too. You never have to use one of those till they have long gone bad. No problem with ball valves.
I do not and I assume you're talking about the temperature dial. The only thing I can think of is to use a special type of screw that requires a specific tool to turn to remove the panel. Usually called 'vandal resistant' screws or some variation of.
Or if you are referring to the valve, they do make ball valves that have a lock you can put through the valve or a cover that will not allow access to the valve. Be careful with putting locks on valves though because if a pipe bursts and they can't shut the water off, you might have a larger flood on your hands.
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice yes, i was referring to the temperature dial. It's in the laundry room for all 8 units and someone keeps messing with the dial by turning it up. It's causing problems with the pipes and costly the owner a lot of money so we're looking into some kind of lock for the dial so they can't mess with it.
Counting my lucky stars that my two gate valves from October of 48 are still working normal. I did have to tighten the stem seal a few times on one of them but they work great and don't leak. Fully exposed to the elements even. Now, I've never had a problem with ball valves other than being a bitch to turn but gate valves have been a different story altogether I'll admit. A ball valve with a shark bite is great to deal with a blown pipe while the water is still on as well. Shove it on open and then close.
I have a gate valve for my house, and the handle wouldn't close the valve due to it failing. Contacted a plumber he suggested replacing the gate and handle with one from another valve. We did that but it wasn't an exact match and the water can't be totally shut off for the house. I tried to find something that would match but have been unable to. Now I'm going to have to install a ball valve and am not sure how I will be able to remove the current valve and solder in the new one because there is no way to move the pipe enough.
I am sorry, but gate valves are very good, you are showing valves failed from extreme situations that are not the norm, if gate valves corroded from storage, they were stored inproperly. Ball valves lever corrodes fast and can became dificult to open or close. Both types of valves, gate and ball will need replacement or repair eventually.
I agree that nothing last forever and ball valve levers do corrode especially if they are made from steel or a lower quality stainless steel. That's why it pays to buy quality so you get a long lasting valve. The gate valve here is used in South Florida which has some of the hardest water in the US along with all of the chemicals.
Last month I installed 2- 3/4" Copper Ball Valves on a new Hot water Zone I created. I was careful soldering them and used Locking Pliers and wash clothes to keep them cool. The manufacturer stated they need to be half open when soldering. Fortunately that part of the job was great. I had trouble with a "T" fitting because I used overkill in keeping 2 sides cool while soldering the 3rd side. The house shut off here is a 60+ year old Gate Valve which is cranky to turn and I have used Channel Locks on it in the past to do so. Now I am educated on its potential for trouble. Thanks.
My gate valve got stuck. Thanks for the posting as it helped me to go for ball valve!
Good information and very timely for me. I am preparing to make my own outdoor shower and this has proven very useful. Thank you for sharing your insights via this video.
The bottom grove in the gate valve fills up with minerals and blocks a complete seal.
I work in HVAC, boiler rooms, cooling towers etc. I've have _more_ grief from ball valves that gate valves. Ball valves can stick, bypass (leak), the handles quickly rust and fail. The shafts rust and seize. I've had ball valves bypass in the first year.
Also they are easy to damage when soldering. I just found that out today. After install it leaked from the handle side
it's so over valve bros
Very informative infor. Thanks for New Zealand
Absolutely right about gate valve. Gate valves are flawed by design and will not last. Every single one of gate valve that I had failed and failed miserably. Ball valves are much more reliable by design and will last a long long time.
It's amazing that the makers of the gate valve, haven't sought to improve or compensate for these defects or faults all this time, as I'm sure they have had a lot of complaints by now
I'm sure they'd be liable for hundreds of millions of dollars by now that they would never be able to recoup or compensate people for.
@@Andy-im3kj true Dat
I’ve had to replace numerous 2 to 3 inch gate valves on commercial irrigation systems because they were never exercised &won’t shut water off entirely. Sometimes I would get lucky &can replace insides. I definitely prefer ball valves but I think gate valves are somewhat ok if exercised regularly
My house was plumbed in the 1980's. About half the valves are the gate style and half are ball valves. Every single ball valve is corroded and won't turn. I've tried tricks and tips from online sources and they don't work. They won't budge an inch and if I try any harder I'm going to break something. Meanwhile, all the gate valves work fine.
I have the same experience with ball valves!
Maint.
They are probably globe valves you have and not gate valves
In UK we use a stop cock valve in the home on mains water (which also sieze up) not a gate valve, domestic gate valves are used on tank fed low pressure systems.. But of course the ball valve looks to be a good replacement, especially as I've just had a gate valve fail in the locked off position, so have to drain down the tank to replace it, will look at obtaining a ball valve, thanks for the info..
I've had a gate valve on my well head for 20 years and it works fine. I turn it a few times a year, which could be why it hasn't froze up, but the well water isn't the cleanest either.
Eventually it will fail. Gate valve is flawed by design from it's weak stem to gate itself which will corrode and sieze.
Plumbers love them!!
My gate valve appears to be leaking from my water tank, it's only 10 months old.
Txs you. Appreciate that. Just about to replace valve. Need to buy Ball valve. Txs you
Very clear explanation.Good to know.Thank you
Would you recommend 2 ball valves under a kitchen sink to replace 2 frozen in the closed position gate valves???? I have Unfiltered Well Water.......any Information Would Be Appreciated!!!! Thank You!!!! Great video!!!!
excellent video and very informative. How much does it cost to replace it?
The costs vary so much depending on size of valve, current set-up, and location (i.e. Manhattan or middleofnowhere America)
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice I am
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice I am in Florida and valve is out side the house
Problems with the ball valve occur with the corrosion of the lever, I find, other than that it's my first choice always.
Maint. is the answer
Great explanation! I live in south florida, the outside shut off valve , I have replaced e the guts, will it still seal properly? I still have small Drip when replacing bathroom plumbing and shut off valve closed? Please help, any ideas?
Its interesting, So apparently i had a gate valve? So i was turning the water on and off in our new house to fix some things when turning one off i heard something in the middle crack and then the valve no longer worked and the water was both leaking and going forth. So I figured i'd order a new one, so i went and bought a new labeled Ball valve but aparently i must of had a gate valve but event though i guessed what it was wrongly i still ordered the right piece. lol
Thank you very much for this video
outstanding..big thanks..I love ball valves
Its called "316" stainless steel. Regular stainless steel rusts like other metals.
Great video... good information, BUT... Do you know which valve provides more efficient flow in the fully-open position?
The vales that are used for residential use are required to be 'Full Port' valves meaning when fully open, they are the same size opening as the pipe it is serving. the ball valves have a smoother flow path than the gate valves so the flow through would be better with a ball valve.
I had a gate valve replaced with a ball valve but instead of the easy quarter turn like the old one, they put on a plastic one that my weak hands can't turn. He said it won't rust like the other one but I'm a little frustrated. But my question is that this is a shutoff for a secondary water line and I'm not sure what maintenance I need to do when shutting it off for the winter. The plumber said I should do something but I can't remember what it was. Can you address this?
I'm sorry you have that issue. Having a valve that you can't turn is frustrating. They may be a better solution for you. About the winter maintenance, I think you're referring to "winterizing" your home. We don't do that in South Florida so I can't help you with that, unfortunately.
My main shut off inside my home (garage-I live in the Southwest) is a gate valve. I want to replace it with a ball valve. I don't feel comfortable soldiering inside the wall. Is a compression fitting okay to use in this situation? I'm going to cover the opening in the sheet rock with an access door.
In Florida, that would be ok as long as that access door is there. Compression (mechanical) joints must have access in case of failure.
@@Homechoiceplumbingservicewhat about pro press that's a mechanical joint, does it need an access door as well?
I'm draining my well Trol in my shop feet's from my well and I'm getting no pressure only for a few seconds after turning back on
Two cities I have lived in in Oregon require you to have your own valve after the meter. I am in the country now and hire rube Goldberg to design my plumbing, NOT. LOL
My city water department only uses gate valves. With a zillion homes to service, I will take their wisdom.
Gate valves are stilled used today for different scenarios. For instance, the larger the valve/pipe size, the harder it is to operate a ball valve by hand. Once the size of the valve exceeds about 2 1/2", the valve used is a gate valve. Anything larger would be very difficult to operate by hand. Also, the gate valves that are of larger size have a rubber seal inside to help positively shut off the water. ALSO, the water department is an old institution and the ball valve is a fairly new design comparatively. So, it would not make sense to change millions of valves just because they came out with a better design. They are however, changing from gate valves to quarter turn style valves at the meter before it enters your home whenever the valve needs to be replaced. At least here in Florida.
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice Are quarter turn style valves better than ball valves? I am looking to replace a gate valve for my main water shut-off. Thanks!
So the Ball valve is also brass with SS ball + PTFE seal but is more durable than a brass gate valve in terms of brass integrity & corrosion ?????
I looked out for Bronze ball valve & even Full SS ball valve but they are prohibitively expensive compared to a brass ball valve...
Only advantage I have found if ball valves is easier/faster on/off. Other than that nor much and they can be damaged easily when installing (soldering) I just did one today and it leaked from the handle socket. I bet the heat damaged the lining
Anytime I have to get plumbing done I have the valve changed to ball valves. I don't care where it is. Toilet, sink I want All my valves to be ball, to me it's no competition, I've seen soooo many gate valves either leak, breakoff, or have to use pliers to turn it, then breaks off😅 screw gets loose, ball valve set it and forget it
I’m replacing a gate valve installed in 1981 with a new gate valve. I know from experience how long a gate valve lasts. I’ve had two ball valve handles seize so no thanks.
Hey, what cities you service in south Florida? I need an estimate to change my valves in a condo in Hallandale Beach.
Unfortunately, we do not go to Hallandale Beach. We service Palm Beach and Martin County.
What I decided to do with all the external gate valves for hose connection was replace them with ball valves but in addition added an extra one between the meter and the house six inches away from the house turnoff valve so I could still have water thru a hose while working on a sink, bathtub, toilet, water heater etc. Just turn off the house valve and leave on the hose valve. See how long you can go without toilet water for 1 or 2. Replaced all those crappy little sink, toilet valves with small ball valves too. You never have to use one of those till they have long gone bad. No problem with ball valves.
do you know anything about putting a lock on an apartment water heater to stop tenants from messing with the dial?
I do not and I assume you're talking about the temperature dial. The only thing I can think of is to use a special type of screw that requires a specific tool to turn to remove the panel. Usually called 'vandal resistant' screws or some variation of.
Or if you are referring to the valve, they do make ball valves that have a lock you can put through the valve or a cover that will not allow access to the valve. Be careful with putting locks on valves though because if a pipe bursts and they can't shut the water off, you might have a larger flood on your hands.
@@Homechoiceplumbingservice yes, i was referring to the temperature dial. It's in the laundry room for all 8 units and someone keeps messing with the dial by turning it up. It's causing problems with the pipes and costly the owner a lot of money so we're looking into some kind of lock for the dial so they can't mess with it.
Gate valves = no water hammer, FULL water flow and rebuildable. Ball = water hammer and LESS water pressure/volume.
They make full flow ball valves.
@@jayman1601 Who is "they"?
@@rickjames6948 Companies
Plumbers LOVE things that break like gate valves!
Counting my lucky stars that my two gate valves from October of 48 are still working normal. I did have to tighten the stem seal a few times on one of them but they work great and don't leak. Fully exposed to the elements even. Now, I've never had a problem with ball valves other than being a bitch to turn but gate valves have been a different story altogether I'll admit. A ball valve with a shark bite is great to deal with a blown pipe while the water is still on as well. Shove it on open and then close.
Ball valves fail too the stem rots out and the ball no longer spins. Probably a much better choice then gate valves though.
Got 2 that failed cold water 2 hot water tank , and inside shut off- and get only drips !! (so this means hire a plumber.)
Teflon valve seat right?
I have a gate valve for my house, and the handle wouldn't close the valve due to it failing. Contacted a plumber he suggested replacing the gate and handle with one from another valve. We did that but it wasn't an exact match and the water can't be totally shut off for the house. I tried to find something that would match but have been unable to. Now I'm going to have to install a ball valve and am not sure how I will be able to remove the current valve and solder in the new one because there is no way to move the pipe enough.
that R6 siege wallpaper!
Residential gate valves are planned obsolescence, see you in 10 years.
like like
I am sorry, but gate valves are very good, you are showing valves failed from extreme situations that are not the norm, if gate valves corroded from storage, they were stored inproperly. Ball valves lever corrodes fast and can became dificult to open or close. Both types of valves, gate and ball will need replacement or repair eventually.
I agree that nothing last forever and ball valve levers do corrode especially if they are made from steel or a lower quality stainless steel. That's why it pays to buy quality so you get a long lasting valve. The gate valve here is used in South Florida which has some of the hardest water in the US along with all of the chemicals.