Just curious if any of you guys use a shut off valve on your hose just befor your gun connection.
I’m toying with the idea of doing this to save down time and am interested in your thoughts.
What type do you guys use? Or what type?
Thanks in advance
Yes, to a ball valve. It’s a must.
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Thad, what type are you using? I understand there are plenty available but lm trying to minimize the bulkiness of it all…slimmer/sleaker the better l think
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What Thad said. You won’t know what to do with yourself after you realize how much time and frustration the ball valve will save you.
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I agree! They should be standard equipment. Not sleek, slim, etc by any means, but well built and will pay for itself several times over the first day you use it!
I bought a shut off valve several years ago but seldom use it. It is heavy and bulky and even with a rather large lever it’s more difficult than I’d like to switch on and off. Switching back and forth from a surface cleaner to a wand with the valve though is great and DOES save time and hassle. Is there a model anyone is aware of that is lighter, easier to operate, and less bulky? Thanks, Jim
The one I posted is the only one that doesn’t blow up in your face unless you go to a much heavier, higher psi model.
Thanks guys, you have confirmed what l had thought.
I’ve been eyeing off that exact valve.
You were right…a definite must for my arsenal!! 
I’m new to this and just purchased a WW surface cleaner from pressure tek. I also purchased a ball valve and fittings. My machine has a female quick disconnect at the machine and my wand has a male. The SC has a female. What is the proper orientation of the fittings from the machine out? Should I just put two male fittings on my valve?
I’m just wondering what the standard is?
Joe
I don’t personally have the experience like these guys, but I have seen a bunch say to point the plug (male) the direction of water flow. I think either way, keep it consistent throughout the whole system.
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People swear you get more flow having the male end first when it comes to direction of flow (gun having female end). But really, it doesn’t matter at all. Have it any orientation you want. I personally have male ends on my guns and surface cleaner.
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I have males on guns and female on ball valve because you will shoot out your seal if your bulk rinsing with a male head on
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I personally think you’d be much happer skipping the ball valve, and instead replace the trigger on the surface cleaner with a 1/4” male plug. Then use your regular trigger gun to plug directly to the surface cleaner.
@Innocentbystander might have a pic of how his SC’s are setup
That is bad advice.
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Start at the 50 second mark
The difference isn’t noticeable at all. Change my mind. The design inside the area where the male and female end meet and press against the o ring make no difference when water flows either direction. really it doesn’t matter. It’s a preference thing.
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The issue isn’t the flow. It’s the propensity for the couplers to disconnect when they catch on something while you’re dragging the hose around corners, up stairs, etc.
Realistically, the chances of that happening are quite slim but it CAN happen. And when it does and you’re on soap it’s going to dump a lot of SH wherever that coupling was. I’ve had it happen once before when washing a drilling rig but no chems were running through my hose.
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And the odds may be higher than I can guesstimate but in my personal experience it only happened once out of hundreds and hundreds of jobs.
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I don’t use section of hose at the moment so I don’t have couplings dragging on the ground. But, I’ll look into switching it around when I do have couplings on the ground
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