What are various types of valves for water pipe lines?

There are fourteen types of valves for water pipes: 

• Stop valve
Fancy stop valve
Angle stop valve
Concealed stop valve
Gate valve
Ball valve
Foot valve
Air relief valve
Pressure relief valve
Scour valve or washout valve
Sluice valve or Globe valve
Butterfly valve
Float valve or Ball cock
Bip cock / tap
• STOP VALVE :  

This valve is suitable means of connections for inserting and controlling the flow of the water.

Nominal size of stop valve is designated by the nominal bore of the pipe to which valve is normally fitted.

Its body and the bonnet are made of cast brass.

In large buildings, sufficient numbers of stop valves are fixed on the branch pipes to minimize the interruption of the supply during repairs

A stop valve is also called stopcock

Stop valves are of two types

• Internally threaded
• Externally threaded. 

• FANCY STOP VALVE :  

These valves are available in normal sizes of 15 mm and 20 mm.

It is also called open stopcock. 

• ANGLE STOP VALVE :  

It is a valve with inlet and outlet at right angles to each other.

It is used to stop the supply of water to geyser, flushing cistern and the wash basin etc. 

These valves are used for servicing of water fitting to be carried out without having to shut off complete water supply of the house.

• CONCEALED STOP VALVE : 

It is used to regulate the supply of hot and cold water to shower, mixer etc. in concealed plumbing line.

• GATE VALVE : 

Gate valve is a full way valve which is inserted in a pipeline for controlling or stopping the flow of water. 

It offers lesser resistance to the flow of water.

Hand wheel closes the valve by turning it in clockwise direction.

Its nominal sizes are 15 mm to 100 mm.

• BALL VALVE : 

Ball valve or float is an automatic flow control device.
 
 
In this valve the regulating principle is the level of some free water surface.

Ball valves are used in the underground storage tank, flushing cistern etc. to regulate the flow of water automatically

The ball valves are of nominal sizes 15 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 32 mm, 40 mm and 50 mm.

• FOOT VALVE :  

It is a valve placed at the bottom of the suction pipe of the pump.

It allows the water to enter the suction pipe when it is opened.

It prevents water from flowing back when it is closed. 

• AIR RELIEF VALVE :  

The air-relief valve is an integral part of a pool from pumping and filtration system. 

As the pools pump sucks out water from the pool, the water is forced through a filter.

This water is then forced through the air-relief valve. 

• PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE :  

It is used to protect pipe from sudden increase in the pressure due to water hammer (beat) because of closing the valves. 
 
It is a device attached to a boiler or other vessel for relieving the pressure of steam automatically before it becomes great enough to cause bursting.

• SCOUR VALVE OR WASHOUT VALVE :  

These valves are used at the valley point to clean the pipe line.

• SLUICE VALVE OR GLOBE VALVE :  

These valves are used to control the flow. 

Globe valves are used for the control and frequent operation.

• BUTTERFLY VALVE :  

The valve contains a circular disc which rotates to the direction of flow in the pipe.
 
 A butterfly valve is a type of flow control device used to regulate the fluid flowing through a section of pipe.
 
The valve is similar in operation to a Ball Valve.
 
A flat circular plate is positioned in the center of the pipe.

• FLOAT VALVE OR BALL COCK : 

These valves are used in water tanks and in the cisterns to maintain constant water level and prevent overflow. 
 
 It is activated by means of a lever and float (ball)..
 
 The rise and fall of the ball controls the flow of the water.
 

They are generally made for high pressure, medium pressure and for low pressure. 

• BIP COCK / TAP :