Ball valves are an essential part of any plumbing system. They provide the user the ability to turn the water or gas off at any point of the system. Ball valves can be used for any type of plumbing material including pvc, copper, and pex. Home owners with basic construction skills can easily install or replace a ball valve in their home plumbing.

The easiest ball valve installation is in pvc applications. They can be placed anywhere in the line that the home owner has the ability to get the proper tools to. The steps to install a ball valve include:

Turn Off the Water

Every home has a shut off valve located near the point of entry into the house. They often times are located adjacent to the water meter. The home owner must simply turn of the valve to stop the flow of water to the house.

Drain the Lines

Once the water is off there will be residual pressure in the water lines inside the house. The pressure and water can be released by opening a faucet inside the house or a hose bib on the outside of the house. The hose bib is a better option because they are located lower than the faucets and will drain more of the water out of the system. Do not forget to turn the hose bib off after the water is drained.

Create a Union

Installing any type of plumbing fitting in existing pvc or copper piping will require a coupling to connect the existing pipe to the new fitting since the pipe is not flexible. A union is a special type of coupling that can be easier than a coupling to install. A union is essentially a coupling that screws together to connect the pipes.

One end of the union should be installed to one end of a six-inch piece of pvc. The ball valve should be installed on the other end of the pipe using pvc cement.

Mark the Pipe at the Location for the New Valve

Place the ball valve, six-inch pvc, and union next to the pipe at the location it is to be installed. Mark the pipe at the end of the union and the end of the valve to determine to length of pipe to remove.

Cut the Pipe

A pvc tube cutter is the best tool for cutting small pvc pipes. It can simply be placed at the location marked in the previous step and repeatedly opened and closed to cut through the pipe. This helps ensure a clean cut at the exact right location

Install the Union and Ball Valve

Once the pipe is cut, the union can be unscrewed and the piece not attached to the short pvc pipe can be installed on the existing pvc. The ball valve, pipe, and union assembly can then be installed on the other existing pvc pipe.

Connecting and Testing

Once the pvc cement has dried for the proper amount of time, the union can be screwed back together to connect the two ends. Now, the water can be turned back on at the shut off valve outside the house. It is a good idea to have two people for this step. One to turn on the water and the other to watch for leaks. If any piece of the new plumbing is leaking, the shut off valve can be quickly turned off.

A ball valve is a very useful piece of a plumbing system. A homeowner can quickly install a valve to save money from paying a plumber to perform the task.