gustomonkey
New Member
I replaced an old polybutylene system in my house with a new 8x8 mainfold (1/2" ports) using the black Flair-it Plus valves (part number 07890/91)
Easy install and everything has been perfect for over 5 years. In the past year, two of the valves have failed spectacularly on different occasions. What happens is that the bottom of the valve chamber literally blows out, totally exposing the chamber - basically a wide open pipe. Fortunately we were home both times so the flooding wasn't too bad.
It's a disk that blows out that seems like it's only pressed into the end of the valve chamber to seal it like a freeze plug. There is absolutely nothing to indicate something had been secured into the end of the chamber, no broken plastic, no ridge, no residual glue, nothing. It's perfectly smooth as though nothing ever occupied the end of the chamber. Both of the valves were shut off on unused ports so I just replaced them with 1/2" pipe caps.
I chalked the first one up as a complete fluke. Now after the second one a couple of days ago, I'm afraid to leave the house. I live in a suburban community built in 1990 with town water supply and the pressure isn't an issue and temperature is constant.
Anyone else experience this? I don't want to replace the whole thing but those valves are the only thing I found I can use without special tools but I can't trust them now at all. Is there a 1/2" manifold valve I can replace the flair-it valves with and connect to existing PEX lines?
Easy install and everything has been perfect for over 5 years. In the past year, two of the valves have failed spectacularly on different occasions. What happens is that the bottom of the valve chamber literally blows out, totally exposing the chamber - basically a wide open pipe. Fortunately we were home both times so the flooding wasn't too bad.
It's a disk that blows out that seems like it's only pressed into the end of the valve chamber to seal it like a freeze plug. There is absolutely nothing to indicate something had been secured into the end of the chamber, no broken plastic, no ridge, no residual glue, nothing. It's perfectly smooth as though nothing ever occupied the end of the chamber. Both of the valves were shut off on unused ports so I just replaced them with 1/2" pipe caps.
I chalked the first one up as a complete fluke. Now after the second one a couple of days ago, I'm afraid to leave the house. I live in a suburban community built in 1990 with town water supply and the pressure isn't an issue and temperature is constant.
Anyone else experience this? I don't want to replace the whole thing but those valves are the only thing I found I can use without special tools but I can't trust them now at all. Is there a 1/2" manifold valve I can replace the flair-it valves with and connect to existing PEX lines?
Last edited:
![MEISTERFAKTUR drain snake 2.0 [50 FT] - with drill attachment - Ideal plumbing snake for sink and drain unblocking - Solid drain auger for real DYIs! (50 FT - 1/4 inch)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VwmTiOsgL._SL500_.jpg)
