This Smith-Cooper International 362 series brass no kink hose bibb has a quarter turn butterfly handle and a female National Pipe Taper (NPT) thread inlet connection, and is used to control flow (throttling) to a hose. The valve body and seat are constructed of brass for corrosion resistance, its inlet connection is female NPT for connecting to a male threaded fitting, its outlet connection is male hose thread, and its angle shape helps avoid kinked hose. A manually operated aluminum butterfly handle rotates the inside chrome plated brass ball mechanism, which closes with a quarter turn to regulate the flow between the connected pipe and hose, and an O-ring reduces the risk of leakage around the valve stem. The valve’s maximum pressure is 125 pounds per square inch (gauge) (psig) for water, oil, and gas (WOG). This hose bibb is a type of ball valve and is suitable for use in various water plumbing systems.

Ball valves use a spherical disc to control the flow between pipes, tubes, or hoses. Flow is allowed when the hole that pierces the ball-shaped disc is in line with the inlet and outlet of the valve and is blocked when the ball is horizontally swiveled 90 degrees, so that the hole of the ball is perpendicular to the opening of the valve. Ball valves can be referred to as full port or reduced port (also known as regular or standard port) depending on the inner diameter or the valve. A ball valve is full port if the hole of the ball is the same size as the inner diameter of the connecting pipeline (resulting in lower friction) and termed reduced port if the hole of the valve is one pipe size smaller than the pipe, resulting in less flow through the valve than through the shaft of the pipe. Ball valves may have a handle or lever that aligns with the ball’s position (open or closed) for manual operation. They are primarily used in air, gas, liquid, and steam applications.

Smith-Cooper International distributes pipe, fittings, and valves under its SCI trademark and manufactures valves under the Sharpe brand. The company, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Commerce, CA, meets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 9002.