Ball valves for water and gas: are there any differences and what to choose so as not to fly into the air
I tensed up when I heard men arguing about which gasket should be put in an American on a gas pipe - from oil-resistant rubber or not. They probably haven't heard of paronite.
I was even more alarmed by the introductory ball valve with a red flag, which is usually put only on water.
No jokes with gas. This is after a leak of water wiped a puddle with a cloth and you're done. Gas leaks often end in explosions and fires.
Let's look at the difference between ball valves for water and for gas. I'll tell you what features I had to deal with. And if you can add something, write in the comments.
Why ball valves are not interchangeable
Fittings for water and for gas are designed for different operating temperatures. Based on this, it can use different seals and different lubricants. Sometimes even the case material is different, but this is rare.
Taps for water supply are designed for temperatures ranging anywhere from "-15" to "+150" degrees. They are not suitable for outdoor use in winter. But they withstand high temperatures in heating systems.
Gas taps are designed for temperatures ranging anywhere from "-50" to "+60". After all, highways run along the street and even in frost it should be possible to block them.
By the way, gas taps are also tested for tightness at negative temperatures.
How to distinguish a gas ball valve from a water one
Handle color ("flag", "butterflies")
Gas taps have a yellow handle. For water taps, it can be of different colors: red, black, blue, etc.
If the color of the handle does not match, this is a reason to be wary. But I would not evaluate whether a fitting belongs to water or gas systems only by the color of the flag. It is easy to move from one product to another.
Thread length
The connecting thread on gas valves is often made a few turns larger. But not always.
I met gas taps with regular and elongated threads. But I have never seen a water tap with an elongated thread. So:
- If the thread is of standard length, this faucet can be either gas or water.
- If the thread is elongated, with a probability of 99.9% it is a gas valve.
stem seal
The gas valve is a maintenance-free product. O-rings are installed on the stem. Without disassembling the faucet, they cannot be replaced. But usually no one does. They simply replace the old valve with a new one.
Some water valves provide the ability to tighten (or replace) the seal to eliminate stem leakage. If you see a nut under the flag, this is a water tap.
Technical certificate
This is perhaps the only way to GUARANTEED to know the water or gas faucet in front of you. After all, in the basement you can rivet anything from silumin.
Ask the seller for a product passport. Compare the markings on the tap and in the documents, and then select fittings according to technical parameters: purpose, pressure, temperature range.
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