Was Watts Regulator — Brass Valve Stem Packing with asbestos documented in litigation?

Watts Regulator — Brass Valve Stem Packing with is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Watts Regulator — Brass Valve Stem Packing with asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Watts Regulator — Brass Valve Stem Packing with products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Gaskets-Packing

Watts Regulator Brass Water & Steam Valve Asbestos Stem Packing (Braided Asbestos Gland Packing & Asbestos-Bearing Bonnet Gaskets)

⚖ Litigation Recordc. 1940s-late 1970sBraided asbestos gland packing and asbestos-bearing bonnet gaskets allegedly used in Watts Regulator brass valves — water pressure reducing valves, temperature-and-pressure relief valves, mixing valves, backflow preventers, and boiler-feed regulators; disturbed during valve repacks, bonnet-gasket replacements, and rebuild of Watts pressure-reducing valves in plumbing, HVAC, and low-pressure steam service

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Product Description

Watts Regulator Company — the Andover, Massachusetts-based manufacturer — was a dominant U.S. supplier of brass pressure-regulating, temperature-relief, mixing, and backflow-prevention valves to the plumbing, HVAC, and low-pressure steam service industries throughout the mid-20th century. Watts brass valve stem packing — the braided asbestos gland-packing element around the valve stem, together with the asbestos-bearing bonnet gasket sealing the bonnet-to-body joint — was a standard sealing system in Watts valves during the asbestos era.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Watts Regulator asbestos sealing systems included:

Braided asbestos gland packing compressed around the valve stem inside the stuffing box
Asbestos-fiber sheet bonnet gaskets at the bonnet-to-body flanged joint
Asbestos-fiber seat washers on early Watts pressure-reducing valve designs
Asbestos-cord thread wrap at high-temperature service connections
Asbestos-braided diaphragm-cage seals on Watts pressure-reducing regulator internals

These packing and gasket elements were disturbed during valve repacks (a routine maintenance task performed when a stem began to weep), during bonnet-gasket replacements at valve rebuilds, and during full valve overhauls. Plumbers and steamfitters unpacked stuffing boxes, cut out old gland packing with pick tools, scraped bonnet-face gasket residue, and installed new packing and gaskets — routine bench and in-place work.

Watts Regulator has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Plumbers (UA) repacking and rebuilding Watts pressure-reducing, mixing, and backflow-preventer valves in commercial and institutional buildings
Steamfitters (UA) replacing packing on Watts brass valves in low-pressure steam and hot-water heating service
Building maintenance mechanics performing scheduled Watts valve rebuilds in schools, hospitals, and office buildings
HVAC service technicians rebuilding Watts mixing and temperature-relief valves on domestic hot-water and hydronic heating systems
Bystander trades in mechanical rooms during valve rebuild work

Pick-tooling old asbestos gland packing out of Watts valve stuffing boxes and scraping baked-on bonnet-gasket residue were among the fiber-release activities alleged in publicly filed litigation.

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If You Worked at Watts Regulator

If you or a family member worked at Watts Regulator and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may be entitled to significant compensation. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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Product Facts

Trade NameWatts Regulator Brass Water & Steam Valve Asbestos Stem Packing (Braided Asbestos Gland Packing & Asbestos-Bearing Bonnet Gaskets)

Years Producedc. 1940s-late 1970s

Asbestos ContentBraided asbestos gland packing and asbestos-bearing bonnet gaskets allegedly used in Watts Regulator brass valves — water pressure reducing valves, temperature-and-pressure relief valves, mixing valves, backflow preventers, and boiler-feed regulators; disturbed during valve repacks, bonnet-gasket replacements, and rebuild of Watts pressure-reducing valves in plumbing, HVAC, and low-pressure steam service

CategoryGaskets-Packing

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Plumbers (UA)Steamfitters (UA)Building maintenance mechanicsHVAC service technicians

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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