9 Types Of Valves In Plumbing

Plumbing Valves are a device that controls, control, or directs the flow of fluid by opening, closing, or by a partial obstruction. A valve is a mechanical device that controls the flow and pressure of a fluid in a system or process. So basically, it controls the flow and pressure.

In plumbing systems, various types of valves play important roles in controlling the flow of water such as Gate valves, Ball valves, Chec valves, plug valves, ball valves and many more to manage water flow in the symtem.

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Types of Valves In Plumbing

The following types of valves in plumbing are used in piping depending on the requirements. The cost of plumbing valves in a piping system ranges from 20 to 30% of the total piping cost. And the value of a given type and size of the plumbing valves can vary by 100%.

That means if you choose a ball valve over a butterfly valve for the same function. It may cost you more. Therefore, the economics of the process plant, as well as the selection of plumbing valves for operation are essential.

The following are types of water valves used in the plumbing system,

Gate Valve
Globe Valve
Check Valve
Plug valve
Ball Valve
Butterfly Valve
Needle Valve
Pinch Valve
Pressure Relief Valve

1. Gate Valve

It is a linear motion valve used to start or stop the flow of fluid. In service, these valves are in either fully open or fully closed positions. The Gate Valve is the most commonly used valve in any process plant.

When the gate valve is fully open, the disc valve of the gate valve is completely removed from the flow. So virtually no resistance to flow.

This is due to the very low pressure when the flow passes through the gate valve. To achieve proper sealing, when the valve is completely closed, it is necessary to make a 360 ° surface contact between the disc and the seats.

Gate valves should not be used for flow regulation or throttling as accurate control is not possible. The high velocity of flow in partially open plumbing valves can cause erosion of disc and seat surfaces and also create vibration and noise.

Types of Gate Valves

Types of Disk
Solid taper wedge
Flexible wedge
Split wedge or Parallel disks Valve
Types of Body Bonnet Joint
Screwed Bonnet
Bolted-Bonnet
Welded-Bonnet
Pressure-Seal Bonnet
Types of Stem movement
Rising Stem or OS & Y Type (Outside Stem and Screw Type)
Non-rising Stem type

Gate Valve Applications

Gate valves are used in almost all fluid services such as air, fuel gas, feedwater, steam, lubricating oil, hydrocarbons, and most all services.

Some special gate valves are also used in slurry and powder products such as knife gate valves.

Benefits of Gate Valve

The pressure drop during operation is very low.
Most gate valves can be used as bi-directional
They are suitable for high-pressure and temperature applications and require little maintenance

Disadvantages of Gate Valve

It cannot be used to control flow.
A gate valve is slow in operation. It takes time to open and close which is also good because it reduces the chances of hitting the hammer.
When partially open it produces vibration and noise.
Lapses and grinding of seats are more difficult to repair due to limited access.

2. Globe Valve

The globe valve is a linear motion plumbing valve used to stop, initiate, and control flow. The globe valve disc may be completely removed from the flow path, or it may close the flow path completely. During the opening and closing of the valve, the disc moves perpendicular to the seat.

The leakage from the globe valve seat is less than that of the gate valve, mainly due to the right-angled contact between the disc and the seat ring, which allows tight sealing between the seat discs.

Types of Globe Valve

Depending on the type of body there are three types of globe valves;

Z types
Y types
Angle Types

Application of Globe Valve

It is used in high-point vents and low-point drains when leakage tightness and safety are major concerns. Otherwise, you can use a gate valve to drain and vent.
It can be used in the feed water, chemical, air, lubricating oil, and almost all services where pressure drop is not a problem.
This valve is also used as an automatic control valve, but in that case, the stem of the valve has a smooth stem instead of being threaded and is opened and closed by lifting the action of the actuator assembly.

Advantages of Globe Valve

Closed better than the gate valve
Good for continuous operation as there is no fear of wearing a seat and disc
For easy repair, as the seat and disc can be accessed from the valve top
Faster operation than the gate valve due to shorter stroke length
Usually operated by an automatic actuator loss.

Disadvantages of Globe Valve

High head loss from two or more right angles to the fluid flowing within the valve body.
Obstructions and discontinuities in the flow path cause a high head loss.
In a large high-pressure line, pulsation and impact can damage internal trim parts.
A large valve requires considerable power to open and create noise during operation.
It is heavier than other valves of similar pressure rating.
Costlier than gate valves.

3. Check the Valve

The plumbing valves that are used to prevent backflow in a piping system is known as check valve. It is also known as a non-return valve or NRV. The pressure of the fluid passing through a pipeline opens the valve, while any reversal of the flow will close the valve.

Types of Check Valves

Swing Type
Top Hinged
Tilting disk
Lift Type
Piston Type
Ball Type
Dual Plate Type
Stop Check Valve

4. Plug Valve

This type of valve is a quarter-turn rotary motion that uses a tapered or cylindrical plug to stop or start the flow. The disk plug is shaped, with a passage to pass the flow.

The plug valve is used as an on-off stop valve and is capable of providing bubble-tight shutoff. Plug valves can be used in a vacuum for high-pressure and temperature applications.

5. Ball Valve

A ball valve is a quarter-turn rotary motion valve that uses a ball-shaped disc to stop the flow. It resembles a plug valve in many ways. When the ball is in a port line, it allows flow. When you rotate the valve 90 degrees, the solid part of the ball stops the flow.

Most ball valves are of the quick-acting type, requiring a 90 ° turn of the valve handle to operate the valve. But for larger-sized valves that require considerable force to open or close the valve, gear-driven actuators are used. With this arrangement, a small handwell is sufficient to operate a fairly large valve.

The following types of ball valves are used in piping

Floating
Trunnion Mounted
3 Way
Top entry
Side entry or split body
Three-piece body

6. Butterfly Valve

The butterfly valve is a quarter-turn rotary motion valve, used to stop, regulate and initiate flow. The butterfly valve has a small circular body.

Butterfly valves are suitable for large valve applications due to the compact, lightweight design that requires significantly less space than other valves.

Types of Butterfly Valves

Following are the types of butterfly valves,

Flanged ends
Wafer Type Ends
Luge type ends
Butt Welded Type Ends
Zero Offset Butterfly Valve
Double Offset Butterfly Valve
Triple Offset Butterfly Valve

The butterfly valve is a quarter-turn rotary motion valve, used to stop, regulate and initiate flow. The butterfly valve is a quick-open type. The 90 ° rotation of the handle can close or open the valve completely.

7. Needle Valve

Needle valves are similar in design to globe valves with the biggest difference being sharp needle-like discs. Needle valves are designed to give very precise control of flow in small-diameter piping systems.

They derive their name from their sharp-pointed conical discs and matching seats. A needle valve is a manual valve that is used for constant throttling of flow for regulation.

Needle valves are similar in design to globe valves with the biggest difference being a sharp needle-like disc. Needle valves are designed to give very precise control of flow in small-diameter piping systems. They derive their name from their sharp-pointed conical discs and matching seats. The fluid flowing through the valve turns 90 degrees and passes through the orifice.

Due to the needle-shaped disc, a certain portion of the disc will pass before opening the seat, when the disc comes into contact with the seat, matching the taped design as a disc. This arrangement allows for a very gradual increase or decrease in the size of the opening.

8. Pinch Valve

Pinch valves are also known as clamp valves. It is a linear speed valve. Used to start, regulate and stop fluid flow. It uses a rubber tube, also known as a pinch tube, and a pinch mechanism to control fluid.

The pinch valve is ideally suited for the handling of slurries, liquids with large amounts of suspended solids, and systems that efficiently deliver solid materials. Pinch valves are also known as clamp valves. It is a linear speed valve. Used to start, regulate and stop fluid flow.

It uses a rubber tube, also known as a pinch tube and pinch mechanism, to control fluid. This valve is the simplest of any plumbing valve design. Most pinch valves are open-style with the pinch tube exposed. However, another style completely encloses the pinch tube within a metal body.

9. Pressure Relief Valve

A pressure relief valve or pressure protection valve is used to protect the equipment or piping system in the event of an overgrowth event or vacuum. This valve releases the pressure or vacuum at a pre-determined set pressure.

The following are the types of pressure relief valves.

Recalling-type pressure relief device
Non-recycle type pressure relief device
Safety relief valve
Pressure relief valve
Vacuum relief valve
Pressure vacuum relief valve

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9 Types of Valves In Plumbing