What are the different types of water valves?
This valve uses a ball with a hole through its center to control flow. Rotating the handle 90 degrees achieves full open (hole aligned with pipe) or full shut (hole perpendicular to pipe). It's primarily used for quick on/off isolation, offers excellent sealing, simple operation, and minimal resistance when fully open. While sometimes used for throttling, it's not ideal, as prolonged throttling can damage the seat.
A gate valve has a wedge or parallel disc that acts like a gate inside. Rotating the handwheel raises or lowers the gate. It's designed for fully open or fully closed positions, providing a straight-through flow path with minimal resistance. It should NOT be used for regulating flow, as the partially open gate vibrates, wears easily, and leads to poor sealing when closed.
Globe valves are characterized by an "S" shaped flow path. Rotating the handwheel moves a stem up and down, raising or lowering a plug (often disc or plug shaped) to control flow. The plug presses against or lifts off a seat for shutoff or throttling. They are excellent for precise flow regulation and frequent operation, but offer higher resistance when fully open compared to ball or gate valves.
Check Valve / Non-Return Valve - NRV
Check valves are designed to allow flow in one direction only and automatically prevent reverse flow (backflow). They have no handle. Common types include swing (a disc swings on a hinge like a door), lift (a disc lifts vertically), and spring-assisted. They are essential for preventing water from flowing backward when a pump stops or for protecting against contamination.
Butterfly valves use a disc mounted on a central shaft as the closing element. Rotating the handle 90 degrees turns the disc from parallel to the flow (open) to perpendicular (closed). They are compact, lightweight, low-cost, and offer quick operation. They have relatively low resistance when fully open and are common for large pipe diameters. Can also be used for throttling.
Plug valves are similar to ball valves but use a tapered or cylindrical plug instead of a ball. The plug has a port through it. Rotating the plug 90 degrees opens or closes the flow. They offer quick operation, good sealing, simple design, and minimal resistance when open. Often used where quick operation is needed or where fluids may contain suspended solids.
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