The effects of frost can be problematic in the agricultural and irrigation industries. Likewise, they can cause a lot of headaches in the plumbing industry. As most would know, when water freezes, it expands. This is often the cause of major problems with ball valves. The expansion acts upon the body of the ball valve, causing it to crack. When this happens, there is a telltale sign of a star- shaped crack on one side of the valve.

Cimberio has come up with a simple, yet innovative way to compensate for the effects of freezing water. The Cim 14M-AF 'Anti-Frost' ball valve incorporates its patented new ball design to allow the water to expand safely away from the valve. Because of this feature, the Anti-Frost ball valve has far less chance of cracking, causing leaks and needing to be replaced.

Protection of valves and pipe work from freezing is a requirement under AS3500. Part 1 – Clause 5.19 states that “In areas where the ambient temperature regularly falls below 0°C, care shall be taken to reduce the likelihood of the water service being damaged by water freezing within the pipes.”

Installers in frost-prone areas will find this new design of particular interest. It will assist in complying with regulations, as well as saving time and money on warranty and maintenance calls from customers. Because an installer may not have taken reasonable care to prevent damage to a water service from frost, it is often his/her responsibility, not the manufacturers. He/she must therefore be careful to check a valve’s specification to avoid liability.

The CIM 14M-AF ball valve is manufactured in accordance with EN29000 - ISO9000 and can be used for general, industrial applications, agriculture, heating, sanitary, pneumatic systems, oil pipelines and generally with any non aggressive fluid.

The Anti-frost ball valve was released in the beginning of 2006 and is now available from All Valve Industries .