Here is how it all started...
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In the mid 1980’s, the common gate valve on irrigation backflow devices were replaced with the modern Ball Valve.
The ball valve with its resilient positive shut off Teflon seats proved to be an ideal valve not only in irrigation but thousands of industries worldwide. This simple, long lasting, cost effective ¼ turn valve became the new standard.
Just one problem. If the valve is exposed to freezing temperatures, especially in the closed position, the water trapped in the ball freezes and cracks the side of the valve body. This can be prevented by proper maintenance techniques, but much of the time one is caught off guard or isn’t properly informed.
In 2013, after replacing over 1,000 ball valves while running his irrigation service company in Denver Colorado, Ron set out to find a solution to this widespread problem. A ball valve with a simple freeze plug that could easily be replaced, positioned on the side of the valve proved to be the perfect solution. Ron, a 6-year US Navy veteran, who worked in the engine room aboard a US nuclear powered ship, credits the training he gained while attending classes on how pumps, valves, pressure regulators, worked, to give him the basic skill sets to create the patented Freeze Tolerant ball valve.
After sharing his new idea with many of the major ball valve companies in the USA, every company rejected his solution.
The rejection was not due to the successful function ability of the product, but the fact that these companies each make hundreds of millions of dollars a year, selling replacement ball valves. Replacement valves for the ones that have cracked due to freezing. So, you have a product that is supposed to last 20 years, lasting only a few years, sometimes only a few months in the field. Imagine providing a product that will generate billions in revenue from known, preventable, premature failure due to freezing! That’s the dirty secret of the ball valve manufacturing industry as I have experienced it. Equally shocking to me are the repair service companies who do not want to give their customers a better ball valve that will save them money. This is ALL part of story. To leave it out would be giving an incomplete story.
The freeze tolerant ball valve offers a lifetime warranty not to crack the side of the valve. To date we have not had 1 freeze plug fail to do its job!
In the mid 1980’s, the common gate valve on irrigation backflow devices were replaced with the modern Ball Valve.
The ball valve with its resilient positive shut off Teflon seats proved to be an ideal valve not only in irrigation but thousands of industries worldwide. This simple, long lasting, cost effective ¼ turn valve became the new standard.
Just one problem. If the valve is exposed to freezing temperatures, especially in the closed position, the water trapped in the ball freezes and cracks the side of the valve body. This can be prevented by proper maintenance techniques, but much of the time one is caught off guard or isn’t properly informed.
In 2013, after replacing over 1,000 ball valves while running his irrigation service company in Denver Colorado, Ron set out to find a solution to this widespread problem. A ball valve with a simple freeze plug that could easily be replaced, positioned on the side of the valve proved to be the perfect solution. Ron, a 6-year US Navy veteran, who worked in the engine room aboard a US nuclear powered ship, credits the training he gained while attending classes on how pumps, valves, pressure regulators, worked, to give him the basic skill sets to create the patented Freeze Tolerant ball valve.
After sharing his new idea with many of the major ball valve companies in the USA, every company rejected his solution.
The rejection was not due to the successful function ability of the product, but the fact that these companies each make hundreds of millions of dollars a year, selling replacement ball valves. Replacement valves for the ones that have cracked due to freezing. So, you have a product that is supposed to last 20 years, lasting only a few years, sometimes only a few months in the field. Imagine providing a product that will generate billions in revenue from known, preventable, premature failure due to freezing! That’s the dirty secret of the ball valve manufacturing industry as I have experienced it. Equally shocking to me are the repair service companies who do not want to give their customers a better ball valve that will save them money. This is ALL part of story. To leave it out would be giving an incomplete story.
The freeze tolerant ball valve offers a lifetime warranty not to crack the side of the valve. To date we have not had 1 freeze plug fail to do its job!
Febco ball valves do not have any protection or warranty from freeze damages. The Freeze Tolerant Ball valve company located in beautiful Colorado, developed the best ball valve suited for cold weather. It has the CSS Approved certification. It is the only ball valve (including that made by febco ball valve corp.) approved for severe cold weather applications. It is the only ball valve with patented freeze-plug technology to protect it against freeze damage. Other products like the Febco FR 767 PVB states that it was made to be left out in the cold. However, we have tested this unit and found it highly susceptible to freezing and cracking. They are not sold in Colorado because they are not made to endure extreme cold snaps common in Colorado. That is what the distributor told me. Unfortunately most contractors do not like this freeze tolerant valve because they want to keep replacing the febco ball valves that readily crack on the febco pvb units, (the Febco 765 units as wells as any febco products that have febco valves on them.
Febco isn't alone. Watts, Apollo, Wilkins all lack cold weather valve products. They don't have freeze resistant or frost resistant or frost proof or cold weather valves on any of their products either.
I have personally changed out over 1,500 febco,watts,home depot cracked ball valves in the last 20 years. Febco valves are the majority of the brand marketed in Colorado.Most of them have been specifically the Febco ball valve. The febco valve product is really not at fault. Either are the Wilkins ball valves, the Watts ball valves or other ball valves. A person just needs to maintain their febco valve products. However, I would think that Febco and others would want to make a better cold weather valve. But they really don't because they make a lot of profit selling replacement valves. I have found contractors and local distributors same mind
