PVC Ball valve vs. Gate valve

[joy solomon]

I had planned to use gate valves when plumbing my new 210 gallon system because I find it very difficult to turn the handle on ball valves. However, I have not been able to find PVC gate valves locally. Home Depot, local ahrdware stores and Lowes do not carry them. I did find them on-line at Marine Depot, but also found other plumbing supply stores on-line that said they do not carry them because they are unreliable. Has anyone had experience with using PVC gate valves or do you have any tips for me to make it easier to turn the handle on ball valves if I go that route?

 

[coolfish5]

I have seen PVC gate valves that fail, though probably 10-15 years old. One I had failed shut, and the valve just would not open, like the mechanism broke. These were ones that stayed shut 95% of the time and were just opened to fill a tank. Also they were 1.5". There are also others the same age that are always open, and seem to still work fine, though are much tighter than a new one.
The cheap ball valves are the ones I notice getting tight. Better quality ones have better seals and stay loose longer. I think using true union ball valves allows ease of servicing, and cleaning/replacing the valve if necessary.

 

[Largo50]

I have a pvc gate valve on my pool that has been in use for 10 years with no problem.

Savko plastics sells them online and you can check their price.

I don't have any suggestion on the ball valves turning easier but I chose them for my tank plumbing because the gate valves don't fully open, if you look through them in the store you see part hanging down which would restrict some flow.

If you are oversizing the piping then it won't matter, if you are trying to get the maximum flow with the pipe you have then it may be a consideration

 

[Alphabet]

HD and Lowes carry both in various sizes, I also found them at a local hardware store, as well as local plumbing supply shops.

I will likely switch to gate valves, because most of my ball valves are sticking shut, they just seem easier to work with,IMO.

 

[jh2pizza]

savko.com great service, good prices,