Vintage Dunham Flow Control Valve

pumpcontrolguy

Anybody happen to know any specifics on this vintage Dunham valve? Old enough that the distributor doesn't have any real info on it, and had no luck scraping the internet for info. We're thinking a a suitable replacement might just be a modern balancing valve but wanted to see if one of y'all might have any esoteric knowledge about it.

hot_rod

I imagine it may be a simple butterfly valve inside that the lever moves to one of 3 positions.

It looks like the lever is 180• off from normal. The screw locks the lever into the indents, I think.

It may be a basic graphite string packing under the stem nut, if that is the leak problem. Maybe just try tightening that outer gland nut?

I'm not sure you will find a valve to fit that flange to flange spacing?

You might try Mepco, looks like they took over the Dunham product line. Someone there could identify the valve perhaps.

https://www.mepcollc.com/product-literature/

Big Ed_4

Its a flow check, it prevents the hot water from the boiler to rise up to the radiators once the heat circulator shuts off …

pumpcontrolguy

@hot_rod @Big Ed_4

Thanks guys,

We work in more of a niche field of this sort of thing so It's not something we usually quote. But the customer is very bureaucratic and when they want something, there's no changing their mind, and they wanted new quoted.

I wasn't actually the one on site to actually see it what the rest of the surrounding plumbing was. It was one of my other guys and they sent the photos to me to ask with what it was because

I had checked with our Dunham/Mepco distributor and he said he wasn't familiar with it.

I was originally thinking it was a old school triple duty valve, but yea after a closer look with your comments it looks like its just a check valve that you can also force open or closed, not throttling

Big Ed_4

Open, is open . Closed is not a shut off . You can set it to Closed if Normal does not work .. The pipe off the top was connected to the expansion tank at one time ..

hot_rod

Where is it located in the piping? Discharge of the pump?

This is a similar valve in that it is a check, flow balance, and shut-off. Often called a triple duty valve.

Typically found at the pump discharge. It may have the same flange to flange dimension.

I would call Mepco to confirm it could be a swap out component.

Steamhead

@Big Ed_4 is right. It's a flo-check. Not sure what size it is, but it's definitely out of production. IIRC TACO makes one that can be installed horizontally as well as vertically. This might require changing the length of the pipes, but it will work.

JUGHNE

B & G FAS flow control….2" X 2".

I have some on a 1961 boiler. Might have the flange on one end only.

There is a small lever on the top to put in permanent open mode.

No "Off" position. Weighted lift check in side that pump pressure would open.