A load of ball valves!

[periolus]

Okay - so I don't know much about plumbing, or plumbing parts, but I would appreciate clarification on ball valves.

First up, most of them that I have seen online are advertised as female-female, but in a how to guide posted by Aleman on fitting a ball valve to a thermobox, the male end is mentioned. What am I actually looking for when I try and order ball valves?
I also want them for my Mash Tun conversion and kettle - do I need the same ones? I am looking at Screwfix valves with yellow handles, apparently suitable for water, LPG and natural gas.

Also - do I want to be getting full bore valves, or just the 'standard' ball valves? What's the difference?

Please help!


===EDIT====

Sorry, just found that the Full Bore is LPG, gas and water system compatible, but the red-handled standard valve is for water systems only. What would be suitable for the brewery?

 

[prolix]

the yellow ones on screw fix are good, rated for gas aswell as water.

the fitting you need depends on how you want to fix them, the yellow ones fit onto 15mm pipe or are 1/2" male screw fittings if you take the pipe nut off (they screw inside something else).

I use female valves as I connect them to 1/2" fittings that scew inside them.

male screws into female

 

[periolus]

Hi!

Thanks for the reply. What prompted me to post this was my attempt to get a shopping list together for this Mash Tun conversion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftY_HZAFJFc

This talks about 1/2" parts, in particular a brass nipple onto which a 1/2" ball valve fits. As 1/2" measures only 12.7mm, I started to get concerned about the relationship between 15mm and 1/2"

The nipple, I presume (hopefully correctly!) is male, and so that makes sense for the ball valve being female at the business ends.

It's becoming clearer now - it just seems daunting the first time you start thinking properly in terms of plumbing and light engineering. I am not terribly practical, and therefore not that confident in this field!

 

[Titch]

ive just made mine yesterday will be cutting copper today

used old to mock up

had a tank connector on the inside
using 15mm pipe
3 t pieces
4 90's
a 15mm connector to a reducer to sit inside the tank connector
a ball valve compression joint at either end
will use a small piece of 15mm to connect to tank connector and a piece for output.

pictures later

used this as a guide, but made my own lengths

http://18000feet.mesb.co.uk/coolbox/cool_box_mash_tun.htm

 

[mashman]

With plumbing fittings the term 1/2 inch and 15mm refers to the size of pipe these fittings are serving.

You can take a tape measure to any part of a fitting and you won't find any part of it measures 1/2 inch but the bore of pipe that it would fit to would be 1/2 inch. . . . or 15mm if it's a compression fitting.

Clear as mud eh?

 

[periolus]

Okay - so in the conversion video (link in opening part of this thread) when they talk about 1/2" fittings, does that mean that 15mm fittings and pipe won't fit the hole because it's not a UK-manufactured coolbox? Would I need to get 1/2" pipe and fittings.

I am confused, and sorry if I have already been dim and missed the answer in your reply!