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Question:

Is there a four-way/cross joining piece for copper piping? Or a valve as described below?

This somehow ended up in Garden and Landscape, so I‘m reposting into the intended category.I‘m working on a project using copper plumbing parts. This project needs a simple spring-loaded valve to operate a whistle. Obviously, if there is a valve like that in existence that would be ideal, but I haven‘t found one.I‘ve been thinking about how to build such a valve myself and the best thing I‘ve come up with is to find a four-way joining piece, like a Tee-joint, and pass a rod through it on one axis with a hole in a strategic position. Does such a thing exist?Alternatively, is there a simple valve that would do this kind of job? It needs to be air-tight under decent pressure, automatically reset to closed and be opened by a very short movement.For anyone curious, the project is basically to create something akin to a steam whistle on old locomotives. In this case using compressed air/CO2. I‘ve already built the whistle.

Answer:

The 4 port joint do exist but are uncommon because using 2 T’s will do. In your application you can buy such a valve at a plumbing shop near you. Hope this properly answers your question Guru
Go to a plumbing supplier and ask for a water heater relief valve with a threaded port and test switch. It should cost not much more than $15.00.
If you need to source your parts from a DIY store, then I don't think you'll find a cross-piece in copper. A better bet, if your project allows it, would be to use a solenoid valve, as found in some central heating controls. A 12 volt or 240 volt coil opens the valve and it snaps shut when you open the circuit. Alternatively a ball-type valve might work - not the toilet cistern sort but the one with a spherical insert, and a handle that just needs a quarter-turn between closed and fully open. Put a big spring on the handle for the 'automatic close' function!

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