Product Review

The Smith-Cooper International 8135 series brass inline ball valve has a lever handle and National Pipe Taper (NPT) female threads on both ends. This valve body is made of brass for corrosion resistance, ductility at high temperatures, and low magnetic permeability. Brass can be connected to copper, brass, plastic, aluminum, and welded steel. This valve has a lever handle for manual on/off control. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) seats reduce the risk of leakage. The valve is standard port for with a higher flow coefficient resulting in a larger pressure drop for a given flow as compared to a full port valve. This valve has female NPT threads for connecting to male threaded pipes, creating a tighter seal than straight threads. The maximum pressure rating is 400 pounds per square inch (gauge) (psig) for water, oil, and gas (WOG), and 125 psig for working steam pressure (WSP). Ball valves use a spherical disc to control the flow between pipes, tubes, or hoses. Flow is allowed when the hole that pierces the ball-shaped disc is in line with the inlet and outlet of the valve. Flow is blocked when the ball is horizontally swiveled 90 degrees, so that the hole of the ball is perpendicular to the opening of the valve. Ball valves can be referred to as full port or reduced port (also known as regular or standard port) depending on the inner diameter of the valve. A ball valve is full port if the hole of the ball is the same size as the inner diameter of the connecting pipeline (resulting in lower friction) and is reduced port (standard port) if the hole of the valve is one pipe size smaller than the pipe, resulting in less flow through the valve than through the shaft of the pipe. Ball valves may have a handle or lever that aligns with the ball's position (open or closed) for manual operation. They are primarily used in air, gas, liquid, and steam applications. Smith-Cooper manufactures a wide variety of pipe fittings and valves. The company is headquartered in Commerce, California, and meets relevant ANSI, ASTM, and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9002 standards.