Waterworks Brass: Why Quality Matters
And why we choose Ford Meter Box
By Louis Schoolcraft, Vice President, Ti-SALES
Brass is the most common material for pipe fittings and other waterworks service materials, and for good reason: the copper-zinc alloy is durable, flexible, corrosion-resistant, and can withstand high temperatures. It’s also easier to cast or shape than steel or iron, making it affordable and widely available. In short, brass does a great job!
(As a note, all waterworks brass is now manufactured as lead-free brass, also called no-lead or NL brass, in compliance with the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act or SDWA.)
Quality Matters
Waterworks brass is held to much higher performance and quality standards than brass used for musical instruments or for decorative purposes. There are multiple reasons for this: waterworks brass must endure heavy-duty use and is often located in hard-to-access spots. A curb stop or corporation stop, for example, is generally buried four feet or deeper underground (below the frost line); replacing a faulty stop can be a big labor expense.
Even when your waterworks brass is relatively easy to access, such as meter couplings or a copperhorn in a residential basement, it’s important that it stand the test of time and keep delivering safe, clean drinking water to every faucet in the building. Access to clean water is a critical component of public health; the American Water Works Association (AWWA) sets strict standards for all facets of water treatment and delivery.
Ford Waterworks Brass: A History of Innovation
This vital need for high performance and quality is why we’re proud to stock Ford Meter Box’s wide range of waterworks brass service materials. Ford has a long history of creating quality solutions for the water & wastewater industry – founded in 1898 by Edwin H. Ford, whose experience as the Water Superintendent of Hartford City, Indiana gave him unmatched insight into the industry’s need and challenges. (The company’s name comes from his first product: Ford brought the first meter pits to the market, finally allowing meters to be located outside in cold-weather environments.)
In the many years since, Ford and the team he built continued to innovate, seeking out new challenges and pioneering solutions to them:
- They were the first to recognize the need for devices to support and position meters in both indoor plumbing and outdoor pits, leading to their broad line of copper meter setters (Copperhorns, Kornerhorns, etc).
- In the mid-1950s, Ford introduced the Pack Joint compression coupling, allowing connections between service line piping without flaring and threading.
- In 1963, Ford brought the ball valve to the waterworks brass market; easy to turn and able to withstand high pressure, it was a major improvement over the key valve.
- The 1970s and 1980s introduced the Ballcorp Corporation Stop – all the benefits of the ball valve incorporated into water main tapping.
- Ford’s innovative and flexible meter test bench designs have made Ford Test Benches the industry standard.
Ford Meter Box grew from a basement shop in Hartford City, Indiana to over 1,000,000 SF of manufacturing space in Wabash, Indiana and Pell City, Alabama; and from meter pits for outdoor settings to a catalog of over 30,000 items. And while their size may have changed, one thing hasn’t: they remain just as dedicated to quality and innovation.
At Ti-SALES, we stand by our products: we pride ourselves in offering our customers only the highest-quality, most reliable solutions to meet their long-term needs. When it comes to waterworks brass, that means Ford.
Summing Up
Quality waterworks brass is critical to the treatment and distribution of drinking water, which is a major contributor to public health. We’re proud to supply Ford’s wide range of innovative, quality, high-performance waterworks brass to support our customers’ shared mission of delivering safe, clean, quality drinking water to every home and business in their area.
Louis Schoolcraft is the Vice President of Ti-SALES, a leading distributor of water and wastewater supplies and supplier for Ford Meter Box’s wide range of water & wastewater solutions. Ford’s offerings include waterworks brass, clamps and couplings, pipe fittings and restraints, and more. For more information, visit www.tisales.com/ford-brass/ or call 800.225.4616.