Hot take: That old Walker dome valve we used to rebuild by hand was better than the new factory sealed ones

Back in 03 I used to sit in the shop and rebuild those Walker dome valves on big boilers. Take the whole thing apart, clean every piece, replace the gasket and spring. Took me about 45 minutes per valve. Now they just swap the whole unit for $400 a pop and toss the old one. Sure it's faster but I swear the old ones held up for 3-4 years easy while these new sealed ones start leaking after 18 months. Anyone else notice that or am I just getting old?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anna1mo ago

Blame it on the bean counters who figured out that selling you a whole new valve every 18 months makes more money than selling you a rebuild kit every 4 years.

ross.river1mo ago

Man, that hits home. I had a water heater that the plumber said needed a whole new unit after just two years, but I found the exact same sensor kit online for like forty bucks and fixed it myself in an afternoon. Took a little digging and a YouTube video, but that thing ran for another five years no problem. Now I always check for the rebuild parts before I even look at the replacement price. It’s crazy how they make you think the whole thing is shot when it’s really just one cheap part wearing out.