Product Overview
Stainless steel high pressure ball valve, rated to 1,000 psi. It is a quarter-turn shut-off for a solution line: a quarter turn of the knob stops the flow, without reaching back to the machine.
The 1/4 inch FPT x 1/4 inch MPT thread arrangement means it goes straight into the line — one end onto your male hose end, the other into your quick disconnect — with no adapter nipples either side.
Important — NPT Thread
This valve is NPT threaded, not BSP.
NPT and BSP will start together and then refuse to seal. If the equipment you are fitting it to is BSP, this is not the valve for it — contact us before ordering and we will confirm what you need.
Why Stainless Rather Than Brass
Brass valves split under sustained high pressure, and the failure is sudden. A stainless body does not, which is the reason this valve exists as a separate item rather than as a cheaper brass equivalent.
The seals are PTFE. PTFE holds up at the pressures and temperatures tile and grout work runs at, where a standard valve seal softens and starts to weep past the ball.
Where It Is Used
- Tile and grout work, which is the duty it was designed around
- Any high pressure solution line where the operator needs a shut-off at the tool
- Rotary and spinner tools, so flow can be stopped at the tool rather than the machine
- Service and test work in the workshop
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hydro-Force (Aramsco) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer part number | AH57 |
| Maximum pressure | 1,000 psi |
| Body | Stainless steel |
| Seals | PTFE |
| Thread | 1/4 inch FPT x 1/4 inch MPT, NPT standard |
| Action | Quarter turn |
| Warranty | 90 days, per the manufacturer |
Hydro-Force does not publish a maximum temperature or a flow figure for this valve. Rather than estimate them, we have left them out.
Operating Advice
- Seal the threads as you would any tapered thread. Never put tape or sealant on the sealing face of a quick connect.
- Do not use the valve as a flow control. A ball valve is designed to be fully open or fully closed; held part open, the ball and seat erode at the throttling point and the valve then leaks in both positions.
- Depressurise upstream before removing it.
- Around 1,000 psi is enough for tile and grout work. If you are reaching for more pressure to get a result, the answer is usually dwell time or chemistry rather than pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it BSP or NPT?
NPT. If your equipment is BSP, contact us before ordering.
Do I need adapters to fit it?
Not normally. The FPT x MPT arrangement is designed to drop straight into the line between the hose and the quick disconnect.
Can I use it above 1,000 psi?
No. That is the rating and it is the pressure the seals and body were qualified at.
Why not a brass valve?
Brass is cheaper and splits under sustained high pressure. On a line you are running hard, that is the failure worth paying to avoid.
Can I leave it half open to reduce flow?
No. Throttling a ball valve wears the ball and the seat at the point of restriction and ruins the valve.
Related Products
- Quick Connect 1/4 Inch Male — Stainless Steel (NA010)
- Quick Connect 1/4 Inch Female — Stainless Steel (NA012)
- Premium Quick Connect 1/4 Inch Male & Female, 5 Sets (NA0801+701x5)
What We See in the Field
Most valve failures on a solution line are not the valve. They are a thread standard mismatch that sealed well enough cold, or a valve that has spent months being used as a flow control. Both show up as a weep that appears under pressure and disappears when the machine is off.
