If you have a plumbing job ahead of you, there’s a good chance you’ll need a valve to finish it. Understanding the types of valves that are used in homes will help you a great deal in finding the parts that you need quickly. For that reason, we put together this quick guide to common valves.
1. Ball Valves
A ball valve uses a lever handle to turn a hollow ball. When the valve is open, the hollow portion of the valve allows water to flow through the pipes. When closed, the solid portion blocks the flow of water. These valves are fantastic at reliably stopping water. As a result, you’ll likely find them in the main water shutoff for your home.
2. Compression Stop Valves
Another type of valve commonly used to shut off the flow of water is a compression stop valve. These use pressure to push a rubber stopper. They allow you to more precisely set the amount of water that’s allowed to flow but are less reliable than the ball valve. You’ll often find these connected to sinks and toilets so you can shut off water to one fixture without having to close the main valve.
3. Gate Valves
This type of valve raises or lowers as a solid gate when the handle on the valve is turned. As the gate moves, it allows more or less water to flow through the pipe. Due to the size required for their construction, these types of valves are typically only used on larger pipes. If you have an older home, however, you still may find them used as your main shutoff valve.
4. Check Valves
Sometimes, you want water to flow in one direction, but not the other. This is where check valves come in. They typically have a very light spring pushing the valve closed. When pressure is applied, say from a pump, the spring will open. When the pump turns off, the spring closes and the water can’t flow back out. As the description implies, these are typically used to ensure well pumps keep their prime.
5. Foot Valves
A foot valve is a special type of check valve. Rather than connecting two sections of pipe together, foot valves are open at the end. They have a screen on the opening that filters large solids out of the water. The valves are most typically used at the bottom of a well or in irrigation systems fed from ponds or lakes and serve the same purpose as the one closer to the pump.
6. Pressure Reducing Valves
Like a check valve, a pressure-reducing valve uses a spring to perform its function. They work in the opposite direction, however. If the pressure coming into the pipe is too high, it will push the spring and reduce the flow of water. If the water pressure in your home is too high, and you have no other way of lowering it or simply need to lower the pressure for a single fixture, pressure-reducing valves can help.
7. Hose Bibbs
These valves are defined more by their purpose than by the mechanism. Regardless of the internal workings, these are the stop valves you see outside your home for connecting a hose. They serve as an outdoor faucet to control the flow of water to sprinklers, children’s water toys, and other devices that can be fed from a hose.
8. Solenoid Valves
These are electromechanical valves that are controlled by electrical circuits. They come in two types: normally closed and normally opened. When the circuit decides that it wants to open the valve, it shuts off the electricity and a spring pulls the valve open. When electricity is applied again, it will power up an electromagnet that forces the valve closed. A normally opened version behaves the opposite. They are used in some modern sprinkler systems.
Trust Builders for Your Plumbing Needs
Whether you need a new valve for your home or have more extensive plumbing needs, you’ll find the parts you need at Builders. Our plumbing parts selection consists of an extensive line of products brand you trust. If we don’t have what you need, we can order it for you.
