rotten plastic dump valve

[rdk]

Well I did it. Every single week after I put in my new barrel filter in March I water changed and worked the dump valve, spayed it every week with silicon. Yesterday was a frost bitten 52% outside and the valve handle froze. I tried to tap it open with a rubber mallet and the handle broke right off. I called my handy man and he put in a solid brass valve into the barrel. I hope I have better luck now. RDK

 

[Pondmaster]

I am not familiar with your setup, but I have avoided any brass/copper in contact with pond water. Don't be alarmed I'm talking over time. Let me check on this and in the meantime maybe another opinion will post.

 

[ponderpaul]

but I have avoided any brass/copper in contact with pond water.

I really don't know what they are using in new construction today, but not to many years ago about all home interior water pipes were copper:nananananana:. I would not be able to have a pond and avoid copper----------??????

 

[rdk]

The old fancy pond systems I have seen on this web site were all brass and copper. Also the many inside parts of the valve are made of stainless steel. I put in an expensive 2" valve bass valve RDK

 

[Pondmaster]

Thanks Ponderpaul & rdk, I'm not sure so I err on the side of caution. I know pond merchants stress using stainless or titanium and not copper heat exchangers on pond heating equipment. I have copper water pipes on my 1993 home but I always let the fist few gallons dump onto the ground before adding any top off to my pond. There are many that say it's OK and many that say don't use it. Either way, like I said, it's nothing to panic about.

 

[DrCase]

I take my drain valves off in the winter and replace it with a clamp on rubber cap.
If the valve has ice in it . Its not going to turn