Filter assembly for frying oil or other liquids and an associated valve assembly

A valve assembly configured to selectively connect a filter assembly with a plurality of vats, the valve assembly comprising:

• a first valve and a second valve, each of the first valve and the second valve having a housing and a valve member, wherein each housing defines a first port, a second port, and a third port and each port is configured to receive an end of a line extending to either the filter assembly or one of the plurality of vats, and wherein each valve member is configured to provide a passageway between the first port and one of the other ports of the respective valve;
• a linking member configured to link the first valve and the second valve together such that a movement of the valve member of the first valve causes a corresponding movement of the valve member of the second valve;
• and
• an actuator configured to provide a force for moving the valve member of the first valve such that dirty oil from a selected one of the plurality of vats is received via the second valve, the dirty oil is conveyed from the second valve to the filter assembly, filtered oil is conveyed from the filter assembly to the first valve, and the filtered oil is conveyed from the first valve to the selected one of the plurality of vats in a filtering operation,
• wherein the filtering operation continuously filters oil from the selected one of the plurality of vats such that the selected one of the plurality of vats is usable during the filtering operation.