The Chinese are not to blame! Why does a ball valve actually break?

Today I will tell you why a ball valve fails even if you do not use it at all. Many believe that this is due to the fact that the part itself was bought from the Chinese, of low quality. But most often the reason is completely different.

My ball valve was broken because it was misused. What does wrong mean?

The main reason for the breakdown

I specially spun the crane to show everything clearly. Inside the case there is a locking element, in the form of a ball with a hole that allows water to pass through. The hole is on one side, so when the valve is turned, the ball turns the whole side, and water does not pass.

In this case, the ball rubs against the fluoroplastic insert, which is located on the other side.

Unfortunately, the metal from which the parts are made, in my case, began to scale up very quickly. And when the tap is closed, such scale simply erases part of the fluoroplastic, and bumps and notches appear on it. With such use for a long time, when the water is shut off, the faucet simply ceases to perform its function.

The main reason for premature failure of the part is the incorrect position of the valve when closing. If you close the valve halfway, the hole closes only partially. And part of the surface of the ball falls under the flow of water. And where the flow of water slows down, and the liquid remains on it for some time, the same sediment appears on the ball. And not only scale - rust can also form.

If you do not use the tap for a long time, the scale will be very noticeable. And after turning the valve sharply, all the plaque will go to the white insert and begin to cut it. Therefore, it is impossible to partially close the valve. No 25%, 45%, only full opening or closing!

Here on this tap even the sealant, which was on the pipe, was “jammed”. And the fact that the part is of high quality, quite expensive, with an additional seal, did not save him.

What do we have to do

Therefore, if you want to keep the valve for a long time, you must check the position of the valve. It must be either fully open or fully closed. A crane in this position will not help you in any way and will simply break the part sooner or later.

There will be no savings, the pressure in the system remains the same, but the likelihood of damage increases. And it is impossible to repair the part - it will only have to be changed.

Even if you do not need to turn off the water, at least once a month I recommend that you open and close the valve. Then the likelihood of sediment accumulation will be reduced, and the part itself will not rust and will always be in working order.

Use faucets correctly and they will serve you for a long time. Even if they are the cheapest or Chinese.