ball valve or blade/gate valve for holding tanks ?

rusty · April 14, 2016, 05:56:39 AM

Just to confirm some above information I have an irrigation system that all the controls are in a vault in the ground. ( i didn't think it would get cold enough to freeze ) I was starting thing this spring and a 2 inch ball valve was broke in a bunch of pieces. The valve was in the closed position. The rest of the valves were in the open position and it good shape. I have one ball valve in our bus that lets me run gray water through the black tank. That valve is always closed but I think the line is empty most of the times when I shut it. Maybe a brass valve will take a freeze but a plastic one will not.

Wayne

gumpy · April 14, 2016, 05:50:13 PM

Quote from: rusty on April 14, 2016, 05:56:39 AM
Maybe a brass valve will take a freeze but a plastic one will not.

No. I had one break in my bus because I had closed it with water in it and forgot to open it when I blew out the system. Lesson learned.

eagle19952 · April 15, 2016, 09:59:38 AM

2004 MODEL Valterra blades here too....no problems either. perhaps the vintage valves are made in the USA

TedCalvert · April 17, 2016, 07:32:03 AM

Kyle: All the blade valves I've seen have 4 bolts that sandwich the valve body between the flanges. Remove bolts, replace valve section, replace bolts with stainless ones with nylok nuts (the kind with nylon insert which keeps it from loosening).

Eagle: That looks like a $500 part!

I've always worried that a turd might get stuck in a ball valve. A blade would slice right through, lol! besides, the blade valves are easier to operate, and are available with a twist-locking mechanism in the closed position.

Good day.

kyle4501 · April 17, 2016, 06:08:02 PM

Quote from: TedCalvert on April 17, 2016, 07:32:03 AM

I've always worried that a turd might get stuck in a ball valve. A blade would slice right through, lol! besides, the blade valves are easier to operate, and are available with a twist-locking mechanism in the closed position.

Good day.

Why close the main drain valve before the tank is empty?

TedCalvert · April 17, 2016, 06:48:02 PM

Hose come off? I dunno. It could happen!

kyle4501 · April 17, 2016, 06:57:37 PM

Quote from: TedCalvert on April 17, 2016, 06:48:02 PM
Hose come off? I dunno. It could happen!

Stranger things have happened.

Lin · April 17, 2016, 10:45:17 PM

I have only had RV blade valves on three RV's for the past 30 years. I suppose I just didn't know any better but never knew they were a problem. I hate it when you guys awaken me to something new to be concerned about. I'm already afraid to go to Yellowstone because of the super volcano!

sledhead · April 18, 2016, 05:20:59 AM

found out the hard way about trying to close the crapper valve when it still had crap in the tank . I was using one of those crapper wagons from CW that only held 20 gal. had to slice the crap in half to close it . the life of a camper !

dave

TedCalvert · April 18, 2016, 06:54:11 PM

See what I mean, Kyle? Hit shappens, lol!

kyle4501 · April 18, 2016, 07:28:25 PM

I have one of those 20 gal crapper wagons - got it for the Airstream. Now, I have a larger waste tank in the coach, so - I'll never use it again.

Everyone talks about being able to repair the blade valve. My desire is to use a valve that will not need so much attention.
Lin, the blade valves wouldn't be made so easy to rebuild if they didn't need it - frequently. The ones I've used don't leak often, but do leak more than I want to deal with. May be more of an issue of back pressure - my tanks are tall.

It seems the biggest issue against ball valves is the length required. The cost can be a bit of a bother too.

Freezing will cause problems regardless of valves used.

Scott & Heather · April 19, 2016, 06:01:34 AM

Thanks Dave, I just woke my wife up because I burst out laughing.

Seriously though, without getting crude, I have a couple of thoughts on this:

If a Baby Ruth were to get caught in the opening of a ball valve and you wanted to close it off, it would slice it just as easily as a blade valve. You have decent leverage with a ball valve lever and the mere action and system of a ball valve doesn't make it any more difficult to turn off mid steam.

True, your ball valve might trap a small amount of liquid while in the turned off position, but so what? Your tank is holding a small amount of leftovers that can't drain over the slight rise of your drain bung. So unless you installed true sump drain tanks, you're always going to have leftovers so a tablespoon of it in your ball valve isn't going to make any difference.

Those blade valves are really an issue. How many of you Fulltime with those? Seriously every single time I go to close it off, toilet paper or poo get in there and I can't quite shut it off completely. I have to drain the tank and then take a rubber gloved hand and sweep the nasties out of the rubber seal groove to get the blade to close all the way. Ball valve would be self cleaning every time it sweeps inside its socket. Guys, it's just makes sense to me. I'm a 5 year Fulltimer and I'm always game for ways to make the sewer part of this friendlier.

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eagle19952 · April 19, 2016, 08:46:20 AM

How many of you Full-time with those ?

me.... which is probably reason enough not too...

i will admit tho, i am double Valterra valved.

lornaschinske · May 03, 2016, 09:07:09 PM

3" ball valve (threaded) in Central New Mexico since 2010. No problems. I do have heat tape on the drains. I had to change out a crappy RV valve when one (guess which tank) froze and broke on the old Class C while in S. GA one year. Yes, I fulltime.

digesterman · May 04, 2016, 04:24:45 AM

Guess I'm still asleep this morning, what is a threaded ball valve?