Gas shut off valve

The TBV8 is the gas valve I’d put behind any appliance in a house, and I’ve used it. BrassCraft’s TBV series submittal calls it a gas ball valve for natural, manufactured, mixed, LP and LP-air gas, FIP by FIP.

BrassCraft lists the design: a heavy-duty forged brass body, which it says eliminates the pinhole leaks of cast bodies; a blowout-proof stem assembled from the inside with double O-rings; PTFE seat rings; and a chrome-plated brass ball. It’s approved for indoor and outdoor use and 100% leak tested.

The operating limits are −40 to 150°F and 5 psi maximum. The listings are CSA to ANSI Z21.15 / CSA 9.1, ASME B16.44 and CGA CR91-002, and the country of origin is Italy.

Those two standards matter. The 2021 IFGC’s table of manual gas valve standards lists ANSI Z21.15 and ASME B16.44 for appliance shutoff valves at up to ½ psig, which is what most house lines run at.

Its part number is plain TBV8. The Amazon listing’s UPC, 026613099415, matches BrassCraft’s own product page for the TBV8.

Where it lost points: BrassCraft doesn’t say it’s full port, which scored 7.

Don’t mix it up with the TBV8-8. That BrassCraft part is a ½-inch flare by ½-inch FIP valve for a flare connector, not FIP by FIP.

BrassCraft’s sheet also quotes the fuel gas code: the appliance shutoff goes upstream, within easy reach, within 6 feet of the appliance.

The submittal’s material list fills in the rest: forged brass body and retainer, brass stem, high-temperature rubber O-rings, an aluminum handle and a zinc-plated steel screw. It lists the TBV8 at 1.43 by 1.94 inches for its two drawing dimensions, small enough to fit behind a range.

My call: the T-handle sits flat against a wall behind a range, which is where most of these end up.

Dormont makes gas connectors and valves, and its product pages now sit on watts.com. The 050FV is its ½-inch full port valve. I’ve used it.

Dormont’s product page on watts.com calls it a ½-inch two-piece full port ball valve with female threaded ends for commercial and industrial gas use.

Dormont lists a brass body, an adjustable packing gland, a chrome-plated brass ball, virgin PTFE seats and seals, a bottom-loaded blowout-proof stem, a brass adapter and a steel handle. It says each valve is factory tested before it ships.

Its temperature range is the widest here: −40 to 400°F. Dormont lists it as CSA approved and design certified, and UL listed.

Full port means the hole through the ball is the same size as the pipe, so the valve adds almost no restriction. My call: that matters most on high-input appliances like tankless water heaters and commercial ranges.

Where it lost points: Dormont’s page names CSA and UL but no standard number, which scored 8, and it doesn’t state a pressure rating, which scored 7.

Dormont also sells it in its ReliaGuard connector kits, packed with a hose and quick-disconnect. This listing is the valve alone.

Only 2 were left on this listing when I checked. If it’s out, the card stays and the price is hidden until it’s back.

Watts lists lead free as not in scope for this valve. My reading: that’s normal for a gas-only valve, but it means this valve shouldn’t be reused on a drinking water line.

A two-piece body with an adjustable packing gland means the stem packing can be snugged if it ever weeps, rather than replacing the valve.

My call: pair it with a full-size connector, or the full port bore gains you nothing.

Eastman’s 60009 is the gas valve you’re most likely to find on a store hook, and it was sold by Amazon itself when I checked. I’ve used it.

Eastman’s product page says it’s for LP gas and air mixtures up to 175 psi, with 5 psi for indoor shutoff, and 600 psi WOG. The temperature rating is 32 to 125°F, and it’s CSA certified.

WOG means water, oil and gas, a body pressure rating. My reading: it isn’t the gas shutoff rating, which is why Eastman lists 5 psi separately for indoor shutoff.

The listing adds a quarter-turn aluminum lever and a brass body, and calls it an in-line valve for connecting two pipes running the same way.

Where it lost points: Eastman names CSA but no standard number, which scored 8. Its 32°F minimum scored 7 against the others’ −40°F. It doesn’t mention a blowout-proof stem or full port, which scored 7 each.

It’s the one pick that publishes a high-pressure rating, which scored 10. My call: that’s useful on an LP tank line, but most house lines run at a fraction of 1 psi, where the indoor 5 psi rating is what applies.

One more thing to know: Eastman’s page names LP gas and LP-air mixtures, and I didn’t see natural gas named in the text I read. Eastman markets it for residential heating, industrial and commercial use. My call: check the marks on the valve body for the gases it’s listed for before you put it on a natural gas line.

My call: it’s a fine valve for a water heater or dryer inside a heated house. For a garage that freezes or an outdoor grill, pick one rated below 32°F.