Which one do you prefer, Ball Valve or Gate Valve?
One of the most common problems we deal with on a regular basis is the replacement of old shutoff valves. When installing or replacing a shutoff valve, there is a choice to be made: ball valve or gate valve?
Since water essentially wreaks havoc on on your entire plumbing system, having the proper valve in place will help delay problems down the road. The gate valve has been around for a long time, and is slowly becoming obsolete. The design of the ball valve makes it superior to the gate, and almost always lasts longer and causes fewer problems. A ball valve utilizes a sphere with a hole in it to control flow. When the handle is turned parallel with the valve, the hole is open to flow. When the handle is turned a 1/4 turn, the sphere is also turned and the hole is now perpendicular to the valve and flow is stopped. Ball valves can almost always be operated after years of disuse and do not typically get locked in position. A gate valve uses an internal gate that moves up and down on the stem. The stem is connected to the handle which screws the gate up or down, opening and closing the gate. The gate valve has a few disadvantages. The big