Finding inexpensive "food grade" ball-type check valves?

[Dale Mahalko]

(First post. Sort of. Posted a few years ago, but account is gone?)

I recently purchased a Bender Washer Releaser on ebay... the auction of which I see was being mentioned on here in mid-November...

I am neither a mapler or a farmer, but I want it for my Wikipedia article on the step saver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender_Step-Saver_and_Washer/Releaser

After I'm done with it I'll probably resell it on ebay again.

======

So anyway where do you find food-grade, low-pressure-release plastic check valves?

I know this device used simple semi-transparent plastic ball check valves, from when I saw it working on people's farms in the early 1980s.

Hunting around I managed to dig up one supplier, but these are ridiculously priced at $250 per check valve.

It looks like what is needed is a "food grade" or "NSF-61" or "potable water" or "sanitary" check valve.

Yet the word "check valve" doesn't turn up useful results on some industrial process websites. There's the rotating ball valve, but no loose-ball check valves. They seem to prefer the term "non return" valve".

,

Try to find any type of ball check valve here. Apparently it's impossible. (TYCO Flow Control / process equipment)
http://www.tycoflowcontrol.com/valves/products/hygienic_process_equipment/

,

Meanwhile for this website, wandering into the all-stainless-steel industrial-process ball check valves easily racks up $500 to $1000 or more. Yipe:
http://www.gvc.net/p/945/316l-ss-ball-wair-blow-check-valves-tri-clamp-ends-b-type-hose-barb-viton-ball-seals

,

I may just say heck with going with the proper food grade valves, and just get some cheap non food grade check valves from the local hardware store. I'm not actually planning to use it for actual milk, probably just will use water to demonstrate it, and I won't be drinking that water, either.

Though ball valves are preferred since they open with practically zero pressure. A spring-type check valve may have too much spring force for gravity flow to open the valve easily...

I'll keep looking.

[Dale Mahalko]

I could not find it again earlier but here is the insanely expensive plastic check valve I found. That seems like a ridiculous price to pay for a food grade valve -- and for the washer releaser I need two! But anyway..

Sanitary PolyPro Ball Check Valve - 1 inch OD - $248
http://www.gvc.net/p/2283/polypro-check-valve

Approvals:

3A® Sanitary Standard
FDA 21 CFR



,

The reason why this came up is because I know the dairy industry have a special sanitation standard of their own called "3-A" that goes back to the 1930s:
http://www.3-a.org/about/history.html

,

The Bender Washer Releaser by the way is 3A rated....

FDA - INDEX OF MEMORANDA OF MILK ORDINANCE EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE (M-b) January 4, 2010
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/MilkSafety/CodedMemoranda/MemorandaofInformation/UCM199120.pdf

Page 10, code "M-b-112", equipment "Washer-Releaser", company "Bender Machine Works, Inc", model "1600 and 1800", Issued "6/7/1967"

,

And so if I wanted to have dairy rated sanitary parts to include with it for resale on ebay, it would seem reasonable to want to use class 3A rated sanitary valves. But finding 3A - specific valves is extremely difficult, as shown above.

Now, I have no idea how the NSF standard (National Sanitation Foundation) and "Class 3A" overlap. It may be that NSF is good enough or equivalent to Class 3A, since NSF is the rating needed for food preparation equipment. But, that's still unknown for me as yet.

[Dale Mahalko]

(accidental double post.. website or connection is running really slow today..)

[Dennis H.]

Now I do know where to get a 1 1/2" sanitary Ball check valve for $50. These are to be used with 1.5" SS milk line, they use tri-clover style clamps.

So in order to use them you would also have to get some fittings to adapt the ball check valves to tubing or what ever.

SS Ball Checkvalve (http://www.partsdeptonline.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=14&cart_id=5015265.19371&exact_match=on)

[KenWP]

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23369&clickid=redirect

Anything on this web site work.They are cheap.

[Dale Mahalko]

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23369&clickid=redirect

Anything on this web site work.They are cheap.

Warning, no, that is not true. SOME of their parts will work.

Food grade parts generally carry a stamp or label from a certifying standard, and usually the product info will say something about it in the description, such as being NSF listed.

Asahi PVDF Check Valves - "NSF listed, NSF-61 Certified" - $144 for 1/2" valve
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=25059&catid=489

NIBCO® Chemtrol® TruUnion Ball Check Valves - "NSF listed" - $67 for 1/2" valve
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23972&catid=489

,

I wrote to that company yesterday to ask about the specific check valve page you cited. Here is their response:


From: Tech Support <techsupport@usplastic.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:52:08 -0500

The material used for the outer housing is food grade, but the viton diaphragm is not, so they would not be considered food grade.

Please feel free to contact us Mon-Fri 8:00 am - 5:00 pm EST, with any further questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Berta Thaman
United States Plastic Corp.®
Technical Support Representative
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am - 4:00pm, Eastern
Phone: 419-228-2242 / 800-537-9724 Ext. 610
Fax: 419-228-5034 / 800-854-5498
www.usplastic.com
berta@usplastic.com

If you have used any of this specific part where there is food contact, I highly recommend replacing them with the correct (expensive) type.

These are likely fine for "upstream" vacuum systems, where there is no food contact and air is being sucked away from food containers. I know the upstream end of dairy pipelines go to a vacuum pump that has no food contact and so it isn't sanitary food grade.

[Dale Mahalko]

Now I do know where to get a 1 1/2" sanitary Ball check valve for $50. These are to be used with 1.5" SS milk line, they use tri-clover style clamps.

So in order to use them you would also have to get some fittings to adapt the ball check valves to tubing or what ever.

SS Ball Checkvalve (http://www.partsdeptonline.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=14&cart_id=5015265.19371&exact_match=on)

Thanks, I will probably get these and eventually resell them with the Bender on ebay.

If I'm going to go through all this trouble to locate stainless steel 3A rated dairy check valves, might as well do it right -- and low-cost. Then there's no question for the buyer. I know I can get the 3A rated milk hose from the local Farm and Fleet store.

Here are the hose to stainless steel adapters, from a site I've visited in the past. They don't list prices so I don't know cost yet, but for such a simple part I'm not expecting the costs to be high:

http://www.dairyxpress.com/pdfs/Dairy%20Xpress%202011%20Pipeline%20and%20Stainless .pdf
Long document, but go to page 49:


Stainless Steel Fittings - Wash Inlets
1.5 in. Concentric Wash Inlets

.75 in. 32311012C
.875 in. 32311014C
1 in. 32311016C


1.5 in. Eccentric Wash Inlets

.75 in. 32311012E
.875 in. 32311014E
1 in. 32311016E

Note: SS Tubing is measured O.D. Plastic and rubber tubing is measured I.D. Use .75 in. inlet with .625 in. hose, etc.


(Eccentric means the inlet is lined up with one side of the larger pipe, rather than being centered on the bigger pipe. If laid horizontal, liquid can not pool inside the larger pipe section and become trapped.)

Page 55:

Tri-Clamp Tee

1.5 in. 3211157



Page 56:

Tri-Clamp Hose Adapters

1 in. TC 3276108
1.5 in. TC 327615




...... now WHY was I on this site a few years ago?? Oh yeah, now I remember.

Bender Machine Works in Hayward, WI is still in business, except what they do now is specialize in dairy pipeline wash control and soap dispenser systems. Which you can see here....

Page 62 - 63:

Pipeline Washers

Now you have your choice of Bender pipeline washers, from the economical 8500 to the solid state liquid
dispensing 9650 with peristaltic pumps.

Bender 8500
Economical
• Adjustable wash time
• 30 oz. detergent jars
• Reliable mechanical timer

Bender 9400
Automatic Sanitize
• Adjustable wash time
• 30 oz. jars
• Failsafe timer
• High capacity water valves
• Reliable mechanical timer

Bender 9410
Liquid Dispensing
• All the features of the 9400 washer with the added convenience of liquid dispensing
• Pump units are completely programmable piston pumps

Premier II Solid State
Solid State
• Fully programmable
• Combine with P.N. 129590 high capacity peristaltic 3-pump dispenser
• Highly reliable and flexible wash system

3-Pump Dispenser
High Capacity Peristaltic Pump Unit
• Combine with a Monitor Clean 8950 unit or a Solid State 9650 to create your own reliable washer
• Features high capacity detergent delivery (20 oz. per minute) with high capacity water valves


Page 81
Repair parts - Bender 8500 Parts List

[lpakiz]

Dale,
I sent you a PM about OEM Bender check valves. Did you get it??
Larry

[Dale Mahalko]

Well no wonder the valve search is difficult. Bender made their own check valves, and they don't sell them anymore.

There is another releaser on ebay, this time complete with the valves and trap jar:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190634286922

I want them valves, but I don't plan to keep the releaser much past doing the photo shoot this summer for Wikipedia. If you want the releaser cheap don't bid now, wait for me to relist it after doing the pictures. Plus you can have all the new dairy grade class 3A sanihose I'll be putting on it for the photos.

Heh.

[Dale Mahalko]

Waaah, I missed that one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190634286922


But... there was another this last week with valves... and I stealthily watched it... and pounced!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120867384572

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll9/DMahalko/Message%20Boards/bender-releaser-pristine.jpg


Yeehaw, it's got the two Bender plastic valves, a pristine-looking releaser with no rust on the bracket and the better-designed plastic vacuum connector on top, plus the overflow/trap with the ball holder/spring, and two vacuum valves/barbs for vacuum hoses.

Well, I guess I'm done buying releasers. I have three now. Never plan to use any of 'em except for my Wikipedia history/video project, then back on eBay they'll go.

[lpakiz]

Dale, that's what I tried to tell you. Those exact valves are here at my place--45 minutes from your door. You could have used them for free!! Too bad----

[Dale Mahalko]

Dale, that's what I tried to tell you. Those exact valves are here at my place--45 minutes from your door. You could have used them for free!! Too bad----

Didn't sound like that to me. I'm not interested in having strings attached to those "free" valves.

[lpakiz]

This was the PM I sent you.


Dale,
I have several Bender releasers and the check-valves that were standard issue with them.. I would be willing to let you use one for a while (deposit??) if I could get a chance to buy your releaser when you are thru with it. I am in Greenwood, just south of Withee.....
715-000-7257 Home
715-00-1781 Cell

As everyone can see, the only "condition" was that I get first chance to buy your releaser.

[500592]

I would be interested in a link to the article sound very interesting also if you could post some of the vaccum release thing on he kind without the big black disk kind thanks

[Peepers]

500592 - I dug up a wikipedia article that Dale has authored: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender_Machine_Works
which may be the one he is referencing to in this thread. I haven't read it yet but I'm not sure why he didn't want to share the link with us here on the trader. I'm not sure I appreciate the unfriendly response to lpakiz either. And why put the releasers up on eBay before asking around here if any of us are interested or putting them in the classifieds?

[500592]

Thanks peepers I totally agree

[Dale Mahalko]

500592 - I dug up a wikipedia article that Dale has authored: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender_Machine_Works
which may be the one he is referencing to in this thread. I haven't read it yet but I'm not sure why he didn't want to share the link with us here on the trader. I'm not sure I appreciate the unfriendly response to lpakiz either. And why put the releasers up on eBay before asking around here if any of us are interested or putting them in the classifieds?

The Wikipedia article was referenced in the first post of this thread, though with a different name. I recently renamed the article to "Bender Machine Works" because I can not figure out what is the proper way to talk about this dairy history subject, and nobody else knows either. I still have no idea if the Step Saver cart was a from a different manufacturer, or how many people made it, or if it was just called a "milk transfer cart", or if there was a patent dispute over them. It looks like releasers can be used without the cart with only pipelines so it's not exclusive to the cart, either. The whole topic of obsolete dairy technology is very hard to research and categorize.

I'm not trying to make the private valve discussion public. Ipakiz brought it up. I was not interested in paying a deposit on items I've never seen, didn't know if they're complete, etc.

All the releasers I've seen mentioned here since about Nov 2011 are on ebay. I don't know of a classifieds section, and besides I prefer the bid format anyway. Though I expect to start my relisting at the price where I bought them, and possibly a little more to cover the new gaskets and bits I'm buying from Hamby Dairy for rebuilding them.