6 Water Shutoff Valves You Need To Know

Most homeowners understand the general idea of plumbing. Through plumbing, you have control over the water flowing through your house and in some instances, the gas also. When it comes to keeping real control, however, you need a valve. When it comes to valves, there is a lot of thought that goes into choosing the right one for the right purpose. Let’s say that your toilet is overflowing, wouldn’t it be easier to have a valve that you just have to bend down to turn? With that simple valve, you can avoid a flood of water. Of course, there are many different ways to utilize valves.

Valves often stop an overflow from happening when it comes to clogged toilets. Many of us have had this problem in the past and most of us would like to avoid it. Unfortunately, most people may not understand shutoff valves. Hopefully, this little overview on the differences between different water shutoff valves will help clear up when and how you should use different components throughout your household. After all, many homes have multiple bathrooms, the kitchen and the laundry room to take care of throughout the day. It’s important to understand how valves work so that when a problem does arise, you’ll be better equipped to handle it.

Gate Valves

The gate valve is going to be one of the oldest on this list. However, this doesn’t make it any less reliable. Gate valves are usually used in commercial or industrial applications. These gate valves have a wedge or disc inside that lowers to seal off flow. However, when it’s raised, the inside diameter matches the pipe it is connected to so that there is no loss of flow. Everything about this component is controlled by a wheel handle. What happens is that the handle moves down the stem with the gate and the non-rising stems stay in place. It’s easy to tell if the valve is open or closed by the state of the handle.

Globe Valves

The globe valve is one of those that use a stopper in order to decrease the water flow. The stopper is lowered onto a baffle so that it can serve as a block. Since the baffle takes up a lot of room inside the valve, this caused a restriction of water flow that is needed. Additionally, globe valves have been known to be great at throttling.

Stop Valves

Most valves can serve as something to block flow from the supply; there are valves that are specifically designed to do it. Stop valves are among these. They are one of the most convenient because they produce a shutoff mechanism. Often, you can find an example of a stop mechanism behind your toilet or under your sink. Unlike other valves, the stop valve is able to use any internal mechanism from ball, globe, and gate valves.

Check Valve

As your water moves through your home, it should only be travelling in one way. This is from the supply line and through the fixture or drain. It’s important for plumbing experts to make sure that this stays that way. This is where a check valve comes into play. A check valve is very simply backflow prevention. There is a ball that is put into a hole when the flow is reversed and this can block the outfit. These checks use a flapper that is put into the water and flows in the wrong direction.

Ball Valves

One of the most common and absolutely widely used valve designs, the ball valve uses a cored, rotating ball to control water flow. These are usually controlled by a lever handle. They are able to give the user a quick view of their status. They are made for full-flow applications, and with their low-wear operation, they hardly have any effect on the valve mechanism itself. This is useful, because it allows you to go longer without maintenance or trouble with your valves. They can last for a long time before you see any issues. Also, they come in a wide array of materials and styles. If you prefer brass, PVC, or even stainless steel, you can be suited.

Butterfly Valves

A butterfly valve is called as such because of the mechanism that is inside the valve. There is a disc like mechanism inside that rotates when you turn the handle. This is how you can reduce the flow through the valve. Often, these kinds of valves can be used for throttling. However, some of them also have a locking mechanism that can counteract the force of the water on the disc. These can be utilized fully opened or closed. When it comes to valve types, the butterfly is more compact with a short body. This means that it is lighter than most valves. What you should always remember, however, is that a butterfly valve relies on a gasket. Gaskets, of course, always need to be replaced.

Valves are incredibly important to have when you want to control your water flow. They come in a large variety of materials, ranging from bronze to PVC plastic. Often there are some materials that will do better in this environment than others. Of course, when it comes to plumbing, it can be easy not to think about it when you aren’t having any trouble. Keep in mind, however, that flooding or broken pipes can happen to anyone. No matter where you live or what kind of plumbing you run throughout your home, there is always a chance that something may leak, burst or become clogged. Not to mention after holidays or any extended period at home, you may have to perform extra maintenance.

No matter how benign you think the signs of a problem are, it’s always important to pay attention to what kind of valves there are and how to differentiate between them. After all, there is a lot of variety. It may seem a little overwhelming, at first. However, if you trust and use this information, then you should be able to tell the differences between different water shutoff valves. Once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy.