water ball valve problem

[CEPenworks]

I replaced my water heater and added a ball valve to the hot water side. The ball valve I used has a drain port. I put the drain on the hot water heater side so the water flows into the drain side of the valve. This is so I can drain the water heater without having to drain the whole house. My problem is I have a small leak coming from the seam where the body of the valve is put together. I noticed there is an arrow on the valve body indicating the opposite direction of flow than I want. Is it possible to take the valve apart and seal that joint or will the valve not seal due to the flow direction? The leak is not from the stem.

[blackhat]

You got a bad valve. Replace it. Flow direction is irrelevant in a ball valve.

[brianwelch]

You got a bad valve. Replace it. Flow direction is irrelevant in a ball valve.

Should be irrelevant, unless the drain/waste port is on the wrong side...found out the hard/wet way that several valves at exterior hosebibbs were installed backwards at my folks house (not ball valves, but that is irrelevant)...

[daddo]

My dad always had a good remedy for such things. I can hear him say; "Take the valve and set it in a vise, carefully use the right wrench and take the valve apart, polish the mating surfaces well, use faucet grease on the threads and a dab of sealant on the surfaces, then carefully re-assemble the valve, remove it from the vise, inspect and clean the valve, then toss it away and get a new one"!

[CEPenworks]

I will stop by Lowe's tonight and get a new one.

[Bob10]

I will stop by Lowe's tonight and get a new one.

Might not be the best idea.  I forget the brand I buy but get them at the supply house made in the states cost more but I have never had one fail.  Someone will chime in with the brand

[TDKPE]

Be advised that ball valves of this sort come in two flavors - standard, and full-flow.  Standard ones will restrict the flow due to the narrowing of the passages to where they're smaller than the pipe or tube section.  Full-flow are basically a larger ball valve with smaller threaded connection, and won't restrict the flow.

Might not matter to your application, but for hydraulic suction lines (for instance), it matters.

[CEPenworks]

These valves appear to be full flow. When open there is no constriction. So I finally got the valve replaces last night and all is well. Now the only thing left with my water saga is to keep fighting with the water authority over the $3300 bill I had to pay to replace the meter.

[Snipe Hunter]

Valves with drain ports have arrows because if you install it backwards, it won't drain out the port. High pressure water will shoot out the port instead. Even with the valve off... especially with the valve of. The arrow should point to the fixture side, not the service side.

[ArnoldBernadette]

Thanks everyone for the solutions! By the way, I would like to consult with you. Not so long ago, I was advised to replace my hydraulic actuator for valves due to a malfunction. Honestly, I would like to try to fix it so as not to buy a new hydraulic actuator. However, my friend insists on replacing it. He advised me on a website where I can order a hydraulic actuator and I'm still confused about what to do. If any of you have worked with hydraulic actuators, I would be very grateful if you could answer some of my questions.