Are you sure that you can turn off the water in your apartment at any time? For example, if the liner (hose) to the mixer bursts, in the kitchen or in the bathroom? If the taps are of high quality, then you shouldn't worry, they can be easily closed.
But there are cranes that can fail in a short time, in about a year, but in fact. they should last at least five years. In this article I will tell you how I (a plumber) choose high-quality taps.
In order to show and find cranes that are not worth buying, I went to the "Leroy" Hardware store.
It didn't take long to search.
- The first factor of a poor quality crane is the super low price. In this place, it is only 117 rubles.
- The second factor, unknown manufacturer, brand.
- The third factor is the presence of metals in the structure that are poorly resistant to corrosion. That is, instead of expensive alloys, iron is used.
The plumber's secret when choosing taps
In order to identify the presence of iron parts in engineering plumbing, as well as not to run into a low-quality fake, I always carry with me
MAGNET, neodymium. It is easy for them to scan parts for the presence of ferrous metals. If it sticks, then inside there is a polished iron ball or stock.Disassembly
I was not lazy and bought two types of cranes for the same price, brought them to the garage and subjected them to "trepanation". In order to identify "pieces of iron".
For those who are interested in the disassembly process, be sure to leaf through the gallery and enjoy close-up photos:
- Remove the "butterfly" handle with zinc alloy sealing holes by unscrewing the iron screws.
- We unscrew with difficulty the nut of the body glued "tightly" with anaerobic sealant.
- We take out the stem and polished balls from the body.
Having fully disassembled, it remains only to demonstrate the iron parts in the cranes. In the GIF picture, we see in both valves a rod that transfers rotation from the handle to the ball made of iron. The nickel-plated balls themselves that block the flow of liquid are also made of a material that will quickly rust.
Outcome
If your magnet is magnetized to brass locking devices, then this means that you are looking at cheap, low-quality ball valves. Installing them in your apartments and houses should be avoided. Their service life is minimal, because iron will quickly speed up and disable these valves. Which can lead to a flood or to premature pipeline repair costs.
I am sure that this information is useful for you and now you will not be deceived when buying quality ball valves. Thanks for attention! From SW. Timofey Mikhailov.
I recommend taking a look: Soviet automatic screwdriver.Link