I've seen ball valves that are aligned perfectly (the levers are perfectly horizontal or vertical). Is the trick to this to screw the valves on first to find out where they stop, and then mark the couplings so that they'll be welded on correctly?
ball valve lever alignment
- Thread starter Alemaker
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Yes that is correct.
It is best to use the exact components to be welded and mark them for each kettle.
It is best to use the exact components to be welded and mark them for each kettle.
I've never had a problem with this. If they don't tighten in the orientation you like, you can remove it and put two extra wraps of teflon tape. It's even easier with 3 piece valves when you can just remove the 4 nuts and spin the body.
OK. That's definitely something to consider.
What's the deal with 3 piece valves? Why do I want one over a 2 piece (other than this particular advantage)? I'm not familiar with them.
JVD_X
Well-Known Member
You can take apart three piece valves to thoroughly clean them.
klyph
Well-Known Member
With pipe threads, after it's tight enough to seal, you can usually get at least another 1/2 turn to orient it correctly.
+1 The threads are tapered and you can get at least an additional 1/2 turn and usually more after the fitting is tight enough to seal. There is very little pressure to deal with when using these valves the way most of us do, so they don't need to be very tight. Just a little more than firmly snugged will do it, then just rotate it to the position you desire from that point. Extra wraps of Teflon tape will also do the trick.
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