Technical Resource Center — Selection Guides & Reference Articles

In-depth selection guides, sizing references, and installation instructions for fluid handling products. Written for engineers, maintenance teams, and procurement specialists who need clear, accurate answers.

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Check Valve Selector — answer five questions about your media, orientation, and line size and get the right valve type with matching products
Check Valve Slamming or Water Hammer? — causes and fixes
Check Valve Leaking? — diagnose and fix it
Check Valve Chattering? — the sizing problem nobody checks
Gate Valve Won't Close (or Open)? — field troubleshooting
Butterfly Valve Won't Seal or Won't Turn? — field troubleshooting
Camlock Fittings Guide — types A through DP, explained
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Interactive Tools

Check Valve Selector — answer five questions about your media, orientation, and line size and get the right valve type with matching products

Valve Guides

How to Choose the Right Valve — compare ball, check, gate, needle, and mini ball valves by type, material, pressure rating, and size
Ball Valve Materials: Brass vs Stainless vs PVC — match the body material to your media, temperature, pressure, and budget
Ball Valve Sizing Chart & Cv Reference — Cv values, full vs reduced port, and how to size for flow and pressure drop
How a 3-Way Ball Valve Works: L-Port vs T-Port — flow paths, diverting vs mixing, and how to choose between L-port and T-port
Ball Valve Stuck? How to Free It — and When to Replace It — safe freeing steps and replacement signals
Check Valve Types: Swing, Spring, Wafer, Ball — cracking pressure, orientation, and water-hammer behavior compared
Check Valve Installation: Flow Direction & Orientation Rules — flow arrows, orientation by type, troubleshooting
Water Hammer: What Causes It and How to Stop It — causes, arrestors, check valve slam, and slow-close practice
Anti-Siphon Valves Explained: How They Work & Where They're Required — vs check valves, chemical metering use
Gate Valve vs Ball Valve: Which to Use When — operation, cycle life, footprint, and cost decision matrix
Needle Valve Selection & Sizing Guide — orifice and Cv reference, stem types, and when to choose a needle valve
PVC Valve Chemical Compatibility Chart — A–D ratings for 40+ chemicals plus an EPDM/Viton/PTFE seal matrix
Valve Pressure & Temperature Ratings Reference Chart — WOG vs WSP, ASME class, and temperature derating
What Does WOG Mean on a Valve? Pressure Ratings Explained — 600 WOG, WSP, CWP, and ANSI classes decoded
Lead-Free Valves & NSF/ANSI 61 Compliance — the 0.25% lead rule, certified alloys, and how to verify potable-water compliance
Butterfly Valve Selection Guide: Wafer vs Lug vs Flanged — body styles, disc and seat materials, and operators compared
Lever vs Gear-Operated Butterfly Valves — size thresholds, throttling, torque, and locking compared
Butterfly Valve Dimensions & Cv Flow Chart — typical Cv by size and how to size for throttling vs on/off
How to Install a Wafer Butterfly Valve — disc clearance, gaskets, bolt sequence, and common mistakes
Gate Valve Selection Guide — resilient vs solid wedge and OS&Y vs non-rising stem (NRS)
Flanged Gate Valve Dimensions (AWWA C509/C515) — lay length and flange drilling, and what to verify before swapping
Valve Seat Materials: EPDM vs Buna-N vs Viton vs PTFE — chemical compatibility and temperature range for each seat
Valve Body Materials: Ductile Iron vs Carbon Steel vs 316 Stainless — service, corrosion resistance, and cost
What Is CF8M Stainless Steel? CF8M vs 316 Explained — cast vs wrought 316, body markings, and what CF8M means for valve quality
Swing Check Valve Guide — how swing checks work, where they fail, AWWA C508 for water service, and how to stop slam
Check Valve Slamming and Water Hammer: Causes and Fixes — why checks slam, which valve styles prevent it, and the spring-kit fix
Check Valve Leaking: Diagnose and Fix It — seat wear, trapped debris, and elastomer failure diagnosed step by step
Check Valve Chattering: The Sizing Problem Nobody Checks — why oversized checks chatter and how to size for actual flow
Buna vs. Viton Check Valve Seats — what the V-suffix means, which seat survives which service, and when to ask
Lead-Free Check Valve Requirements for Potable Water — the federal lead-free rule applied to check valves, with certified options
Inline Check Valves for Chemical Feed Systems — brass, stainless, and PVC inline checks in dosing service, with cracking pressures
AWWA C508 Swing Check Valves, Explained — what C508 requires, flanged vs lever-and-weight, and repair kits
9620-Series Spring Kits: Which Kit Fits Which Valve — match the spring kit to your swing check size
Post Indicator Valves (PIV): What They Are and When Code Requires Them — PIV basics for fire-protection service, with AWWA C515 post-indicator valves in stock
Gate Valve Won't Close (or Open): Field Troubleshooting — symptom-by-symptom diagnosis: won't close, stem leaks, hard to turn, and when to replace
Cross Handle vs Crown Handle vs Handwheel: Gate Valve Operators — why the operator differs and which handle style fits your service
Check Valve Sizing: Why Line Size Isn't Valve Size — Cv basics, water-service velocity, and why oversizing causes chatter
Foot Valves and Suction Service — holding prime on suction lifts, strainer integration, and when a foot valve beats an inline check
Butterfly Valve Won't Seal or Won't Turn: Field Troubleshooting — won't seal, hard to turn, and seat failures diagnosed
Butterfly Valve Seat Materials: EPDM vs Buna-N vs Viton — EPDM vs Buna-N vs Viton for butterfly seats
When a Lever Stops Being Enough: Butterfly Valve Operator Sizing Guidance — when a lever stops being enough

Strainer Guides

Y-Strainer Selection & Sizing Guide — screen mesh vs perforation, orientation, blowdown, and material
Strainer Mesh-to-Micron Conversion Chart — US mesh to micron and inches, with screen-selection notes
Y Strainer vs. Basket Strainer — which style for which service, mesh selection, blowdown, and pressure drop
Strainer Blowdown and Maintenance — blowdown setup, screen inspection practice, and plugged-screen symptoms

Camlock & Cam-and-Groove Guides

Camlock Fittings Guide: Types A Through DP, Explained — every type letter A–DP explained, with the full line in stock
Camlock Sizing: Why Camlock Size Isn't Hose ID — why camlock size isn't hose ID
Camlock Materials: Aluminum vs Polypropylene vs Stainless — aluminum vs poly vs stainless by service
Camlock Gaskets: Buna-N vs Viton — the wear item — Buna-N vs Viton, all sizes
Shop All Camlock Fittings — 80 couplers, adapters, and gaskets in aluminum, poly, and 316 stainless

Flange Guides

Flange Selection Guide: Slip-On vs Weld Neck vs Companion — types, pressure Class 150/300, and face types
Flange Bolt-Pattern & Dimension Chart (ASME B16.5 Class 150) — bolt circle, bolt count, and bolt size by pipe size

Fitting Guides

Brass Fitting Types and Sizes: A Complete Guide — compression, flare, barb, NPT, and push-to-connect types explained
Compression Fitting Sizing Chart & Tube Size Reference — match fitting size to tube OD in inch and metric
Flare Fittings: SAE 45° vs Inverted Flare — flare angle, seal mechanism, and how they differ from 37° JIC
Push-to-Connect Fittings: Materials & Pressure Ratings — brass, acetal, stainless, and plumbing push-fit compared
Bulkhead Fitting Installation Guide — hole-saw sizing, gasket orientation, torque, and leak troubleshooting
Hose Barb Sizing Chart: ID to Fitting Match — barb size, hose ID/OD, clamp range, and how to prevent blow-off
NPT vs BSPP vs JIC Thread Identification Guide — tapered vs parallel, seat angles, and a step-by-step ID method
NPT Tightening: Turns Past Hand-Tight Reference — turns by pipe size and how to avoid leaks and cracked fittings
Pipe Thread Sealants: Teflon Tape vs Pipe Dope — which sealant to use, PTFE tape color codes, and how to apply
PVC Schedule 40 vs Schedule 80 Fittings — wall thickness, pressure rating, flow, and cost compared
Pipe Size Reference Chart: NPS, OD, ID & Wall — actual OD/ID/wall for Schedule 40 and 80 by nominal size
CPVC vs PVC: Differences, Temperature Limits & When to Use Each — temperature limits, solvent cement selection, and how to choose between CPVC and PVC for your application
Air Compressor Fittings Guide: Types, Sizes & How to Connect — NPT basics, push-to-connect vs hose barb, and how to seal shop air connections
JIC Fittings Guide: 37° Flare Sizes, Identification & Torque — dash-size chart, JIC vs AN vs SAE 45°, and FFWR torque reference
Garden Hose Thread (GHT) Size Guide: Dimensions & NPT Adapters — GHT dimensions, MHT/FHT terminology, and how to adapt GHT to NPT
Brass vs Bronze vs Copper: Fittings & Valve Materials Compared — alloy composition, corrosion resistance, dezincification risk, and potable-water rules
Compression Fitting Leaking? Causes & How to Fix It — diagnosis table, ferrule reuse rules, and proper tightening procedure
How to Measure Pipe & Fitting Thread Size (NPT, Compression, Flare) — nominal vs actual, NPT OD chart, and per-type measuring steps
Sodium Hypochlorite Piping: Material Selection Guide — compatibility table, off-gassing, dosing line choices
Hose Barb vs Push-to-Connect vs Compression: Choosing Tube Fittings — connection mechanics and decision tables

Clamp Guides

Worm Drive Clamp Sizing Chart: Hose ID to Clamp Range — SAE sizes, diameter ranges, and how to size to the assembled OD
T-Bolt vs Worm Drive Clamps: When to Use Each — clamping force, uniformity, and vibration resistance compared
Ear Clamp Installation: Tools & Sizing — closed-diameter ranges, the right pincers, and crimp method
Hose Clamp Materials: 304 vs 316 vs Plated Steel — corrosion resistance, salt/marine performance, and the plated-screw trap
Mounting Clamp Selection by Pipe Size & Material — support-spacing chart, galvanic isolation, and anchor vs guide

Tubing Guides

Tubing Material Guide: PVC vs PE vs PTFE vs PFA — temperature, chemical resistance, flexibility, and cost compared
Tubing OD vs ID: Chemical Feed Sizing Reference — which dimension a fitting uses, plus an OD/ID/wall chart
Chemical Compatibility Chart for Poly Tubing — PE, PVC, PTFE, and PFA ratings vs acids, caustics, and solvents
Air Brake Tubing DOT Compliance (FMVSS 106 / SAE J844) — required markings, temperature grades, and approved fittings
Tubing Pressure Rating Chart by Material — how OD, wall thickness, and temperature set working pressure

Pump Guides

How to Select the Right Chemical Metering Pump — application-driven selection criteria for chemical dosing pumps
What Size Metering Pump Do I Need? — sizing methodology with flow rate, pressure, and turndown ratio guidance
Diaphragm vs Peristaltic Metering Pumps — comparing the two main pump technologies
Metering Pump Calibration Guide — the draw-down method, stroke and frequency settings, and dosing math
Chemical Metering Pump Troubleshooting Guide — loss of prime, low output, leaks, and overdosing diagnosed
Chemical Compatibility Chart for Metering Pumps — wetted-material ratings for hypochlorite, acids, caustics, and more

Chemical Compatibility & Reference

Common Chemical Compatibility Chart for Fluid Handling — brass, 316SS, PVC, CPVC, PP, PTFE, EPDM, and Viton vs common chemicals

Shop by Application

Water Treatment & Chemical Feed Supplies — dosing system components, compatibility, and NSF requirements
Pool & Spa Plumbing Fittings and Valves — PVC/CPVC selection, equipment pad valves, winterizing
Irrigation & Agriculture Fittings and Valves — zone isolation, chemigation backflow, hose connections
Food & Beverage Processing Fittings and Valves — 316 stainless, lead-free, CO2 line backflow
Chemical Processing Valves and Fittings — material selection for corrosive service: 316 SS, PVC, seals & dosing
Municipal Water System Valves and Supplies — lead-free compliance, AWWA gate valves, distribution & treatment