Plumbers: Source for compact butterfly valves?

[wh500special 2,184]

I have a military customer whose preference is for compact BUTTERFLY valves like linked and pictured below for control and shutoff of potable water in a water storage system we are prototyping.  Normally we use ball valves everywhere, but there are some special requirements that make butterfly valves preferable in this instance.  My problem is I can't find butterfly valves that have the same approximate footprint of ball valves, are similar in cost, AND can be used for potable water.

 

We use these occasionally and they are generally OK:  https://www.milwaukeevalve.com/product/bb2-100/ 

 

They are available though the usual suspects of distribution but are not certified as lead-free for potable water use.  I'd really prefer stainless steel but can live with lead-free bronze.

 

I'm curious if anyone has any manufacturers or sources for such kit.  My web search likely wasn't exhaustive, but my google skills are pretty good.  I prefer North American made, but can import if necessary. These have gotta be threaded 1.5" NPT,  They can't have socket or flanges.  I only need 16 of them.  I'd love for them to be ~$100 apiece.

 

Any suggestions for a manufacturer would be appreciated.  We buy a ton of pipe fittings and valves, but none of our suppliers offer these things or have ideas of where to source.  Phone calls to our (large) plumbing distribution and fire suppression equipment networks here in St Louis have not borne fruit.  There is probably some specialized industry that uses these things but I don't know what it would be but I am betting somebody on RS has an idea.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Pullstart 62,887]

Www.suppluhouse.com?  They are a wholesaler out of Vineland, NJ and have amazing shipping times.

[Charbs152 254]

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/valves/valve-type~butterfly/threaded-flow-adjustment-valves-10/

[wh500special 2,184]

Thanks. Hadn’t seen suppluhouse but it looks like they don’t have what I need.  
 

The valves from McMaster are actually the valves I linked from Milwaukee valve. I’ve purchased a few of them as samples.  They have bronze bodies and the package insert indicates they aren’t for drinking water. 
 

But thanks!

 

Steve

[Pullstart 62,887]

Supply House is actually Ace Supply, FYI.

[oliver2-44 9,753]

Could you use a 2" and use a reducer on each side of it. 

another option might be to use a cast iron/rubber lined valve with a brass wafer (butterfly)

I bought a fair number of valves for the dams/hydroplants I worked at. 

We also did some work for the water utility part of the company and used larger rubber lined butterfly's there at pump stations.  

[wh500special 2,184]

I'll look into the rubber lined valves.  It looks like my limitation is the potable water requirement.

 

I'd much rather these be ball valves...life would be much simpler.

 

Steve

[wallfish 17,000]

6 hours ago, wh500special said:

 

I'd much rather these be ball valves...life would be much simpler.

Curious about what a butterfly valve can do that a ball valve can't.

Better or easier control of the flow?

[WHX?? 48,815]

Plunge @JCM help him out? 

The ones we used to use had some kind of rubber seal around the edge of the butterfly I never cared for. 

 

Good question 'Fish. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by WHX??

[wh500special 2,184]

2 hours ago, wallfish said:

Curious about what a butterfly valve can do that a ball valve can't.

Better or easier control of the flow?

It’s to minimize damage when freezing, John. 
 

When a ball valve is moved to the closed position and the ball passageway is turned perpendicular to the pipe, water remains trapped in the ball.  When it freezes it either splits the ball itself or the casing around it.  Butterfly valves don’t have this problem so are preferred in this instance. 
 

Other valve types - gate, globe, whatever - aren’t desired since they take more effort than a 1/4 turn to operate and are more prone to fouling with debris.  The cold weather requirement means gigantic gloves and mittens so operational ease is a big deal. 
 

A workaround is to use a three way ball valve so the spool has an open port to dump to. I also had what I thought was a novel idea which is to cross drill the valve body with a small hole to allow the ball to drain, but I did a patent search and somebody already has protected that.  I stood to make dozens of dollars with that idea…
 

The systems are well heated and insulated to withstand very cold temperatures without freezing during operation, but when being transported and stored are subject to as low as -65 F. Properly draining the valve spools can’t be guaranteed after field operation since there are human operators involved, so the preference is to avoid ball valves. 

 

We’re prototyping this summer and the units will ship out for cold weather testing over the coming winter. 
 

Steve