How to Buy a Plumbing Valve?

What is Plumbing Valve?

A valve is a flow-control device that is used to regulate the flow of fluids through a system and its passageways. The fluids range from system to system and may be liquids, slurries, gases or even fluidized solids of various sorts. The type of valve to be used by a system depends on the fluidic nature of the system they are to be put to use in. For instance, two systems may differ drastically in terms of the fluids that flow through them and, consequently, may require different types of valves altogether.

List of Free Useful Tips to Buy the Plumbing Valve

Here is a quick guide to buying a valve for a plumbing application:

1)Understand the Anatomy of a Valve

A valve is a device that has to regulate the flow of liquid through a system. It has to, typically, stop, reduce and redirect the flow of liquid. The exterior of a valve is usually made of plastic, bronze, steel alloys or cast iron. The ports of a valve allow the passage of fluids, depending on the nature of flow control required. A valve may have anywhere between two to twenty ports. The disc of the valve helps assess the quantity of fluid that can be passed through the regulator.

2)Understand Valve Classification on the Basis of Ports

A valve can have from two to as many as twenty ports to allow the passage of fluids, depending on the nature of system it is put to use in.

2.1)Two-Port Valves

Two-port valves are elementary valves that can be shut, partially opened or completely opened almost instantaneously on command. They are ideal for use as emergency shut-off valves in settings prone to hazards such as oil refineries.

2.2)Three-Port Valves

Besides allowing inlet and outlet of fluid through a system, the three-port valves also help divert fluid in one direction, regulating the overall pressure of the system in the process.

2.3)Four-Port Valves

Four-port valves help take samples of fluid from an enclosed setup without affecting its pressure and contaminating the fluid.

3)Understand Valve Classification on the Basis of Functionality

3.1)Check Valves

Check valves are one-way valves that allow fluid to enter only in a single direction. They find widespread use in steam engines, rainwater harvesting systems, domestic sprinkler systems.

3.2)Butterfly Valves

Butterfly valves are disk-shaped valves that are used in high-pressure steam applications owing to their ability to regulate flow with great ease. They are very light in weight and are quite inexpensively priced.

3.3)Ball Valves

Ball valves consist of spherical disks that contain holes. The disks when turned, allow the flow of liquid to be regulated. The valves are, very often, operated using an external lever and gives years of ceaseless service.

3.4)Gate Valves

Gate valves, function by opening and closing a gate that allows the system fluid to pass through. The valves are especially used in systems that employ thick and dense fluids such as the petroleum sector.