HYDROSEAL Kaplan 3/4" PVC True Union Ball Valve with Full Port, ASTM F1970, EPDM O-Rings and Reversible PTFE Seats, Rated at 200 PSI @73F, Gray, 3/4 inch Socket (3/4")

I made this purchase based on the solid reviews of this product on Amazon. I'm glad I spent the extra money on these because of the excellent quality. When you open the package and hold the union in your hands and take a close look at it, you will see what I mean. Rock solid construction, thick and heavy, very durable, and superior engineering. Nothing like the existing valves on my pool equipment which were chipped, cracked, and leaking air. No need to read anymore beyond this point because it is too much information. TLDR - Too Long Don't Read. But if you insist, go ahead anyway. I bought 3 of these, but only needed 2. The third one is for spare parts and in case I made a mistake during the install. If you glue on the pipe fitting and forget to put the collar on over the pipe BEFORE you glue it, it's bad news for you. You will have to cut the pipe and add a coupling, and if your pipe is too short, you will have wasted one end of the solvent to threaded union coupling. Fortunately, that didn't happen with me, but I'm glad I bought a spare one for two replacement o-rings, a ball joint valve, and two solvent to threaded union couplings. I'm not a pool or plumbing expert, only a novice, but let me just give you my personal advice on replacing your existing valves with these high quality ones. It took me about 2 and a half hours to replace the two existing valves, and now my pool system is running perfectly with ZERO air intake and NO leaks. It will probably take you less time, but I like to over think these things to get it right the first time. 01] Take your time when replacing the valves and carefully think out where to make the pipe cuts before you start. 02] Use sand paper or a sanding block on the pipe edges after you cut them to make them smooth and beveled. 03] Clean the pipe ends with acetone, or at least alcohol to make them smooth for at least two inches where the solvent is applied. 04] Use pvc primer and glue instead of skipping the primer (like I have done in the past). 05] Consider applying vasaline (or similar) to the ball joint and open and close the valve a few times to work it in. 06] Consider applying vasaline (or similar) to the o-ring connecting points. I was given this advice by a pool maintenance company. 07] Consider applying vasaline to the threads of the unions to prevent sticking over time. 08] PUT THE COLLAR ON THE PIPE BEFORE YOU GLUE THE CONNECTOR. 09] Notice that the valve actually has a FLOW DIRECTION arrow, make sure to align it in the proper direction of the water flow. This is easy to fix if you get it wrong. You simply un-thread the collars, flip the valve 180 degrees, and re-thread the collars. 10] Make sure each of the 2 o-rings are comfortably seated in their slots before you tighten the collars. 11] You SHOULD NOT TIGHTEN THE COLLARS with any tool, only your hands. 12] I never used a measuring tape, I held the pieces and pipe together and put marks on the pipe to make my cuts using my eyes to line everything up. That's all I can think of now but I want to add the following. I am not paid for writing this review. I paid full price for the valves. I am not affiliated with Amazon or HYDROSEAL or any other company for a biased review. I like writing detailed reviews for products that I really like because I like reading detailed reviews from other people and I like to help people make informed decisions the same way that other people help me make informed decisions about a product I might purchase. I hope my review helped you in some way and I didn't mean to waste your time if you read all the way to here. Good luck, and I think you will be as happy as me about these valves.

These valves are fantastic! They are installed as part of my pool plumbing to shut off the skimmers and main drain return lines. They are outside in Minnesota, so it gets to -20 or -30 in the Winter and +98 in the Summer. They are exposed to sun and chlorine. After 4 years they still can be turned on or off easily. Most home center ball valves fail after a couple years in those conditions. The other cool thing as that you could replace the ball without redoing all of the plumbing; just unscrew and replace. I've had pool service workers comment on how nice these valves are. One guy said, "I wish all my customers had these." These ball valves are pricey, but I have been very impressed with the quality and durability.

Great product! I have purchased many of these in various sizes for my outdoor irrigation. They are sturdy and very easy to turn off and on when needing to turn off the water supply. I have not had to replace any parts yet but if I do I know it will be much easier to do so rather than having to install a whole new valve. This is a very well made product!

Very well made combination union/valve. As soon as you pick it up and turn the valve you’ll agree. Absolutely no comparison to the standard valves we get at the BIG BOX STORES. GREAT PRODUCT!

Feels well built Smooth on, off shut off valve Works perfect for keeping water in the pump when cleaning strainer

the unit functions fine, the shut-off knob is easy to turn without issues or sticky-ness.

I replaced a cheap leaking 2" water supply valve to my home with this beautiful design valve. The operation is very smooth, build quality is robust, and unions on both sides will make future service to valve easy. (so easy it almost guarantees I will never need to touch it) Well worth the extra cost!

This valve is a complete night and day difference from the cheap blue handle HD valve the pool installer used. Last time I turned the HD valve, it strained and inflamed a tendon in my thumb. Had enough of that and purchased this one. I will be replacing my other blue HD valve, that's also becoming difficult to turn, with this type in the future too.