All acrylic gate valve for the vacuum hold down... no more fighting!

I always found the plastic ball valves I get somewhat hard to turn. After some time under dusty condition, they pretty much all end up stuck. Without the water lubricant usually encountered under their normal operational condition, the rubber seal get very sticky and prevent the ball inside to rotate.

I've considered brass ball valve then commercial gate valve used in ponds. The brass one aren't cheap and the gate valve found at the plumbing specialist are built similarly to the plastic ball valve; with a rubber seal normally use with liquid (water). I tend to believe they will eventually get hard to actuate.

I just had to figure a way to built it simply yet having a unit that wouldn't leak.

This is what I came up with. In the slide show bellow, you can have a peak at it.



I've been using 'em for a while now and they are working just like expected; no leakage and very easy to actuate.



I'm still wondering why I haven't think of it before (spending hundreds on plastic ball valves)!



I don't think it's relevant for me to produce any diagram or detailed drawing since, if someone want to built similar units, one will have to consider the piping dimensions. One key point is to have the valve body spacers the very same thickness than the gate or it will either leak or wont slide easily. The acrylic parts are solvent weld with a solvent formulated for welding (gluing) acrylics. Very easy to use though not very forgiving after a few seconds.

Let me know if you need more informations. I hope it may save you the dollars I haven't save soon enough... though it's never too late, isn't?!