Ball Valves: Which is Right for Your Project?

Ball valves are one of the more durable valves available, making them a top choice among control valve suppliers for shutoff applications in water systems.  The design allows for much variation, and several different types of SB valve designs are available.  Choosing the right one depends on your project and your needs.

Materials and Construction
Ball valves are intended for very high-pressure water systems and thus must be made of a strong material and with a construction that can endure a great deal of force.  Most SB valves are made of metal or plastic, with some metal valves utilizing a ceramic ball.  Chrome plating makes the balls more durable.

The style of construction can be one-piece, three-piece, split body, welded or top-entry.  These variations do not affect the valve’s utility or suitability for particular projects; they’re only different ways of producing the same device.

Bore Styles
The bore (or hole) running through the ball that allows for the flow of water, can have several variations that may influence the valve’s function and suitability for different applications.  A full port valve has a bore the same diameter as the pipeline, which allows for less friction loss but costs slightly more.  A reduced port valve, which has a bore smaller in diameter than the rest of the pipe, is more affordable but causes reduced velocity of flow while going through the valve.

SB valves also come in 3-way and 4-way port styles, meaning that the valve is T-shaped or L-shaped to allow for connection to multiple pipes.  The flow to certain pipes can then be shut off and redirected to others.

Why Fall is the Best Time of the Year to Plant Trees

If you live in an area with a year-round warm climate, any time of the year except mid-summer is a great time to plant trees.  Most of us, however, are not so lucky – and surprised to learn that autumn is the best time of the year to plant a new tree.

Rule #1: When NOT to Plant
The summer heat makes it the worst time to plant a new tree.  The hot weather makes the plant more susceptible to damage, and the often dry weather means the tree may not get sufficient water.  Arborists say that late winter is one of the best times to plant a tree, but frozen ground often restricts planting.  A solution to this problem is to plant trees in the fall, just before they go dormant for the winter.

What is Dormancy?
During cold winter months, the days get shorter and plants see fewer hours of sunlight – and since they depend on sunlight to produce food, they can’t make enough.  The temperature also means that the ground may freeze, which reduces the tree’s access to water.  The trees’ solution to survival is to go dormant, which means that they stop growing temporarily until the weather becomes warm enough to sustain them again.  Plants start to go dormant in fall, and come out of dormancy in the spring.

Why Plant in the Fall
It’s advisable to plant trees when they’re dormant.  This prevents substantial harm to the tree while digging it up from its original home, transporting it, and transplanting it into the ground.  Handling a non-dormant tree can damage its growing pattern.  This makes winter the ideal time to plant a tree, but frozen ground means that planting in the fall after its leaves have already finished changing colors and begun to fall off is the next best time.

It’s important to water trees sufficiently in the fall to prevent the trees from suffering harm due to dryness.  Frozen ground often follows the dropping of leaves very closely, and if the tree doesn’t have enough water it won’t set its roots down the way it should to be ready for the spring.

For more information on Redmond arborist and arborist Seattle services, visit Certified Arborist Tree Care online.

Car Rental: Saving Money and Being Eco-Friendly at the Same Time

How you drive can either increase or decrease the vehicle's fuel efficiency and your gas costs. The amount of fuel used in the car will determine the impact on the environment.  Consider these simple tips that can add up to savings and maintain natural resources.

• Choose the Right Vehicle: drive one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible.
• Curb road rage: Speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds. Drivers can save up to 240 gallons of gasoline, or up to $913, by driving sensibly on the highway.
• Drive sensibly:  Around town, sensible driving can save 5% – up to 24 gallons of gasoline and up to $91.
• Turn Down the Air. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce mpg by 5 – 25% compared to not using it.
• Decrease Your Speed. Speeding costs! Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 24 cents per gallon for gas.
• Combine errands/trips. If you combine errands into one trip, you drive fewer miles and use less fuel. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip when the engine is warmed up and efficient.
• Use the Overdrive Gear. If available, use your vehicle‘s overdrive gear to reduce engine speed, which will enable you to save gas and reduce engine wear.
• Use Cruise Control. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving.
• Request the Right Rental. Request a vehicle that gets better fuel economy, and remember to fill up the tank before returning the car to the rental company, which charges much higher gas prices – and perhaps even an extra gas surcharge.

For more information on saving money and gas with alquiler de autos en Buenos Aires, visit local car rental company Street Rent a Car online.