Ball valve, looking for thread

[scooterism]

A while ago I recall a post somewhere on this forum regarding a 2 pce (I think) ball valve, but it was not your run of the mill jobbie, it was 2 halves (body) a ball and handle but the 2 halves which had a ptfe seal in each was clamped together a bit like a tri clamp.

The beauty of these valves is no liquid get get bhind the seal and get trapped.

Just wondering if anyone recalls said thread and could help me out with identifying these valves?

I'm using the search, but there is 50 thousand threads that mention ball valve..

Hope you can help

Cheers

 

[MHB]

Sounds more like a butterfly valve, they have a flat disc rather than a ball.
Very widely used in commercial breweries

 

[scooterism]

I think it was like these, but from Chinaland and not Blichmannland..

https://www.homebrewing.org/Blichmann-1-Sanitary-Ball-Valve_p_6032.html

 

[MHB]

Well never seen them before, note in the ad they say they are the cheapest in the world (twice the price of a butterfly valve) and that they will match any other better price. Sounds like an in-house product where there wont be any alterative.
Millions of SS Sanitary butterfly valves out there in breweryland, so I would be happy to go with them unless the ball valve proves in some way remarkably better.
Mark

 

[scooterism]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/329...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_8,searchweb201603_55

Would be nice to find a 1/2" variety

 

[DazGore]

This?....

https://www.beveragefactory.com/fermentation/blichmann-half-inch-sanitary-ball-valve.html

Blichmann Engineering make them.
ITEM #: BE-000621-00

 

[huez]

these aren't the non retention type that i think you are talking about but they come apart for easy cleaning. Depending what you want it for, if you want sanitary why don't you just go butterfly valve like mark has said? Can't get any easier to clean.

https://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-NPT-Quick-Clean-Take-Apart-Ball-Valve.html

 

[sbowler]

Brewers hardware also sell them. I've brought a few and been really happy with the quality.

https://www.brewershardware.com and search for "quick clean"

 

[sbowler]

Apologies for the duplicate advice... Completely missed the post by @huez. So in summary, I agree that these sound like what you were describing...

 

[camNZ]

it was 2 halves (body) a ball and handle but the 2 halves which had a ptfe seal in each was clamped together a bit like a tri clamp.

The beauty of these valves is no liquid get get bhind the seal and get trapped.

Can't find much info on the blichmann units, they look nice and easy to clean, but to me the seat arrangement doesn't look much different than a regular ball valve so can't see how it would stop liquid getting trapped around the ball?

If sanitary butterflies aren't your thing(only available in +1"?), have you considered sanitary diaphragm valves? These are truely sanitary with the diaphragm keeping everything mechanical separated from the liquid. They also allow far better flow control than a butterfly or ball valve.

 

[MHB]

CamNZ
Pretty much agree, note that you can get butterfly's down to 1/2", true under 1" takes a bit more looking but they are available.
As far as I can see, the only advantage these valves have over any other ball valve (which are pretty crap at flow control to) is the ability to take them apart quickly and easily.
When sizing butterfly valves to get true full bore flow, its not a bad idea (especially with smaller valves) to use one size up from your pipe size. Mind you; you would need to be right at the top end of the systems flow rate for it to matter much.

Sanitary diaphragm valves are a much under rated and too often ignored option, thanks for the mention, keeps people thinking.
Mark