Needle valve other than brass???

[Debbie64]

Somebody please point me in the right direction. I know someone out there must be using a needle valve for a precise drip/flow in some application or another. I'm using a jg ball valve now for RO top off and it just doesn't cut it. I was using a brass needle valve for about a week when I realized that brass was a bad thing. :rolleyes:

I've found a couple of places that have plastic, but I need compression type fittings I think for the RO tubing I'm using. I'm going insane searching for this - they're all either the wrong size or brass. :sad2:

1/4" - 1/4" compression needle valve. Steel? Plastic?

Help!

Debbie

[bjonesjr1]

My LFS gave me a Brass valve to make my own drip line... Is Brass bad for my aquarium??? Sorry for tagging along with this thread their Debbie64.

If it is will no longer use it. thanks for the help RC members.

[poppin_fresh]

I think finding a needle valve in plastic is going to be difficult. Have you tried one of those screw types that are used for regulating aquarium air pumps? They are more presice than a ball valve and have no metal in them.

Yes, brass is bad for salt water! It contains about 50% copper which is terminal to many reef inhabitants, even in small quantities.

[bjonesjr1]

Thank you for the input poppin-fresh, I will no longer use what my LFS gave me. He said its ok, but I've come to find out that alot of things he says are wrong, and that I have even gotten into a few arguments abouts whats right and wrong for my tank. But will no longer use the brass valve he gave me.

[poppin_fresh]

In general any metal AND saltwater is bad. Even stainless will corrode in SW eventually. Yeah, mabey if you are running fresh water through it, it might not leach much, but why take the chance?

[bjonesjr1]

I hear you, I'm going to say something to my LFS, cause above all of his tanks in his store for the main air line feeding to all the tanks, he has brass valves at every tank controlling the amount or air that goes into the tank, I'll have to double check but I don't think their going to his saltwater tanks. But it can be bad even for freshwater right???

[Johnsteph10]

Only titanium is ok for long periods then 316 stainless steel..but that will eventually corrode.

I don't think that there is an all plastic needlevalve. Plenty of people use us JG ball valves without difficulty. What exactly are you wanting to use it for?

[Debbie64]

I'm using a jg now, but I use it to drip RO - precise drips - basically a drip every two seconds. I can get the ball valve adjusted eventually, but it's not easy especially when I occasionally open it up wide or cut it off completely for other things. Then it has to be readjusted.

It's enough of a difficulty that I'd like it to be easier. :)

If there's a ball valve out there that will give me the easy to turn/adjust precise dialing, I'm all ears.

My other option is to T the outlet so my other uses for the RO don't interfere. Which is probably what I'll end up doing.

[mhurley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7306293#post7306293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Johnsteph10

I don't think that there is an all plastic needlevalve.

:D

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8317/cid/2120

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/8330/cid/2021

For stainless ones, www.mcmastercarr.com plug "needle valve" into their search engine.

Debbie, personal opinion here....invest in a dosing pump. I've had one running 24/7 for 4 years now adding my top-off to my kalk reactor. If I had to fidget with a valve constantly, I would have long ago thrown in the towel. A couple hundred bucks on a good pump will make your hobbyist life so much easier. :D

[oosurfin]

here you go buddy
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=15615&product%5Fid=15616

and you might want to think about setting up a float switch instead
http://floatswitches.net/

[Debbie64]

Doood, you rock! :D

And actually I have invested in a dosing pump already. I dose Randy's 2 part with one - great investment. I'd considered getting the lower end model from Innovative Aquatics to drip the RO, but really, how many dosing pumps can a girl have? :D

That McMaster Carr site is the one I'd found a long time ago that I couldn't seem to relocate. Thank you so much for that.

Debbie

[Sk8r]

The great motherlode of all-plastic parts, including c-clamps, is in the lawn sprinkler section of the big hardware megastores. It took me two trips and a question to my lfs to figure that out.