What are you using on your bean overflow... Ball valve or Gate Valve?

Aquaticfan

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 27, 2013
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For those of you running bean animal overflows or for that matter any overflow. What valve are you running? A gate valve? Or a Ball valve? I know the gate offers much better tuning and ease of dial in. If your using a Gate vale is yours a turn handle or is it a push pull? Is it PVC or is it metal? Does anyone have any concerns running the brass units in fresh water only system? Or Just PVC? Just trying to decide on what valve how much im going to need to spend on them and what style to get. If you have pics of your set up would be cool to see some of those. Thanks!!!
 

bozatron

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2012
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Dubai
I used standard PVC ball valves on my first bean-animal overflow and they were a major PITA to get them spot on. However the second time I set a sump up also using ball valves I made sure I lubricated the balls in the valves first before assembly and they were simple to adjust afterwords. The problem without the grease/lubricant is the valves are "jerkey" and so very small adjustments are hard. With the lubricant in they slide easily and any adjustment is easy. I would like to lube my original sump valves but they are all glued in place and there is no way to getr the lube into the balls now the pipework is running. :(

I will try gate vavles at some point but they are really hard to source round my way.

B :)
 

Dan F

Fire Eel
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Dec 10, 2007
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I used a brass gate valve. I would avoid brass if you have acidic water, but my water is around 7.6. After they are in use for a while the metal leaching should be negligible.
 

isde02

Arapaima
MFK Member
Jan 4, 2011
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My first sump I used a pvc ball valve and as stated above its a pita to make small adjustments, and on my current setup Im using pvc gate valves.
 

Aquaticfan

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 27, 2013
871
3
16
Colorado
Where is a good place to find pcv gate valves that don't cost a fortune? I'm doing 1-1/2 pvc for my bean animal. Do you all run 3 or just 2?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

David R

Blue Tier VIP
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Apr 26, 2005
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However the second time I set a sump up also using ball valves I made sure I lubricated the balls in the valves first before assembly and they were simple to adjust afterwords.
What did you use to lubricate them? I'm presuming it didn't kill your fish...
 

isde02

Arapaima
MFK Member
Jan 4, 2011
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Great deal. They have some fo about $16.00 each. Found some through Mcmaster carr. But they were $10 more each.

Thanks for the link.

How many of you are running threaded vs slip on your gate valves? How about unions?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Im using slip, and my external pump I bought came with unions so Im using those also.

What did you use to lubricate them? I'm presuming it didn't kill your fish...
Lol...
 

bozatron

Gambusia
MFK Member
Apr 12, 2012
202
2
18
Dubai
What did you use to lubricate them? I'm presuming it didn't kill your fish...
Simple Vaseline, I have used it for the o-rings on my Fluval externals for more than 2 years without any issues or a single leaky cannister which Fluvals used to be notorious for. If you check Fluvals website they suggest its use. It has been on my sump ball vales for well over a year now. You really only need the smallest amount, not enough to gunk up just enough so the ball sides easily.
 
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