Removing oil from two piece ball valve

Outbred · 07-08-2009, 09:40 PM

So I've been putting together a pair of cheap brew pots and picked up some two piece ball valves.

As I was checking the pots for leaks, I noticed that the water coming out of the valves had a sheen of oil and smelled strongly of synthetic oil.

I removed them and soaked them in hot water with grease cutting dish soap, scrubbed in the port with my fingers and the smell was still there.

So I soaked them in hot oxalic acid solution, scrubbed with my fingers and the smell was still there.

I've repeated this process four times now and I can still smell machine oil. Anyone know of a way to clean the valves properly without damaging the teflon seals?

Thanks in advance.

eschatz · 07-08-2009, 09:54 PM

I dont know if gasoline will eat teflon but it'll go right through most oils. That's what I soak really greasy engine parts in. Be careful.

Simphoto02 · 07-08-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outbred

So I've been putting together a pair of cheap brew pots ...

This my first piece of advice. Valves not made for "Food Grade" use can have all kinds of crap on them. Drop back and punt, Get better, not the best, but better valves. Check with JayBird here on HBT. he has just set up a shop and rumor has it he has them CHEAP but brewing quality.

good luck.

**Whiskey** · 07-09-2009, 12:26 PM

A dilution of dawn dish soak (or any of the "grease cutting" ones) will pull the oil out. Also unless they are plastic or non machined/cast, all metal valves have been in contact with oil at some point.