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All homeowners dread water damage, and for good reason. One broken pipe or damaged faucet can cause extensive damage to all kinds of fixtures and furnishings, including your floorboards, walls, ceilings, and landscaping. Thankfully, one sure way to prevent avoidable water damage is to be able to recognize and locate the types of shutoff valves around your property.
Do you know what valve to turn off when there’s a leak or when you need to complete plumbing repairs? Iron Mountain Plumbing, the leading emergency plumbers in Hurricane, Utah, shares the diverse shutoff valve styles below and where you’re likely to find them.
#1 Ball Valve
Ball valves are a popular choice for regular shutoff valves across residential and commercial properties. Look for one of these valves in your home on your main water lines. You can quickly recognize it from the lever handle and the thicker middle section that holds the ball.
The ball valve’s mechanism is simple:
- The ball sits in the valve’s mid-section, which has a hole in the center.
- When you turn the lever to open the valve, the ball will rotate with the water direction.
- The opening allows water to flow through the valve.
- When you close the valve, the ball rotates to block the hole (and water flow).
Ball valves are inexpensive and durable. Experts always recommend choosing an exact replica if you need a replacement ball valve. Standard port ball valves are smaller than the pipe diameter, while full port options are the same size, so choosing the wrong one may upset the water pressure balance.
#2 Three-Way Water Shutoff Valve
You will likely find these types of shutoff valves under a kitchen sink, as plumbers use them to connect multiple valves. A key differentiating characteristic of three-way valves is that they do not shut off the water flow completely. Instead, they block it in one direction, increasing the pressure in the other direction.
If you want to prevent water flow through this type of valve completely, you’re better off locating your main water valve.
#3 Gate Valve
Gate valves work like ball valves in principleturning the circular handle on top of the valve in either direction will raise or lower a metal gate inside the valve, controlling the water flow. You can also lower this gate just enough to reduce the water flow a little.
Like ball valves, gate valves are a common sight on main water pipes but are mostly used for industrial applications. Some plumbers install them in larger residential properties on the main water pipe or the pipe leading to a hot water boiler. Compared to the various shutoff valve options, gate valves hold up nicely for years, even with regular usage.
#4 Pressure-Reducing Valve
These types of water shutoff valves ensure better control over the pressure flowing through your plumbing system. They feature a spring and diaphragm, which you can adjust to reduce water pressure to your preferred limits.
You’ll likely have one of these if you receive water at high pressure from the municipal water supply. The valve helps prevent damage to your appliances and your home’s plumbing systems.
#5 Globe Valve
Globe valves are extremely useful when there’s a need for variable control over the water flow. You will likely find them controlling pipes that lead to water spigots.
They look like ball valves from the outside, but the mechanism inside is a bit more complicated. For example, the valve has a baffle featuring a water flow port in the center, and its handle connects to a plunger. When you turn the handle, the plunger will go down to the water flow port or back away from it to close or open the valve.
#6 Check Valve
Check valves are specialty options that keep water flowing in only one direction. Plumbers may install these as a part of a backflow prevention system, such as for sprinklers or an outdoor faucet.
You can’t open or close check valves like other shutoff valve varieties because they don’t have any control bars or wheels. However, as long as the backflow prevention system is in good shape, you’ll never have to worry about the check valves around your property.
#7 Angled Fixture Shutoff Valve
These types of shutoff valves control water flow to individual plumbing fixtures, such as:
- Sinks
- Toilets
- Washing machines
The angle fixture shutoff valve is common and easily recognizable by its oval handle and ribbed edges. You’ll find the valve in connections where the water pipe comes out of the wall and needs to go up into the supply line for a fixture. The valves have different internal mechanisms, including a compression, ball, or gasket system.
#8 Straight Fixture Shutoff Valve
While similar to the angled fixture option, plumbers install straight fixture shutoff valves when the water pipe comes up from the floor and straight to the plumbing fixture.
Straight fixture shutoff valves typically feature a handle on top (the same as against the knob on the angled variants). However, the internal mechanism works the same in both valves.
#9 Stop-and-Waste Valve
These types of valves are a common fixture in irrigation lines, primarily for protecting sprinkler lines during the winter months. They have a metal composition and two openings built-in. One of the openings controls the water flow, while the other allows water to drain away from the line (so that it doesn’t freeze and burst the pipes).
Plumbers install these valves in the ground, well below the freeze line. You’ll need a special key to turn the valve on and off.
#10 Needle or Saddle Valves
These valves connect a water supply tube to appliances such as refrigerators and water filters. The regulations no longer permit them, so they will only remain in older properties. The valve clamps onto a water pipe, with a hollow needle digging into the pipe like a mosquito’s proboscis and a flexible supply tube (copper or plastic) that channels water to the appliance.
As you can tell from the configuration, these valve types are not durable. Therefore, building codes now require the use of standard fixture shutoff valves.
#11 Electric Diaphragm Valve
These types of valves control hydronic heating and sprinkler systems, with a solenoid that has its own control panel. Plumbers install brass electric diaphragm valves for hydronic systems and plastic options for sprinkler systems. Depending on the system configuration, the inlet and outlet ports may be parallel to each other or angled, and they are often the same size.
The inner mechanism of these valves is similar to what you’ll find in globe valves. The valve body features the following:
- Inlet and outlet ports (separated by a baffle)
- A bonnet featuring a rubber diaphragm
- A solenoid that raises and lowers a plunger to control water flow.
The rubber diaphragm is useful for controlling water pressure inside the valve.
#12 Butterfly Valve
A butterfly valve, which looks like the insect it is named after, has a rotating disc inside it, which features a valve stem and a thin fin or wing on either side. When you turn the control lever, the disk will rotate. The action allows partial or full restriction of water flow through the valve.
These valve shutoff options are more common in commercial spaces. Butterfly valves aren’t common in residential applications because plumbers use them for water pipes three inches in diameter or larger. Not many homes have plumbing pipes of those dimensions.
Is Shutoff Valve Repair and Replacement a DIY Job?
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that you can’t typically repair shutoff valve systems. Once damage or age compromises the internal mechanism of the valve, it’s almost impossible to get it working again. You’ll need to replace parts or make major adjustments.
Experienced professionals can sometimes repair some types of valves. However, in most cases, installing a replacement is more cost-effective. You may not need professional help to replace some types of shutoff valves, such as:
- Fixture shutoff variants
- Ball valves
- Some gate and glove valves
However, it’s always safer to hand over these projects to a qualified plumber. It could save money and time and help you avoid damaging your plumbing system.
Get Expert Solutions to Your Shut Off Valve Problems in Hurricane, Utah
Can you identify the different types of shutoff valves around your property now? Don’t worry; you won’t have to go ahead and replace a broken valve if you have a professional nearby. If you want to prevent water damage, don’t hesitate to call a team like Iron Mountain Plumbing to replace all types of shutoff valves for plumbing systems, residential or commercial.
If you understand your property’s different valves, you’ll know just what to do when a pipe is leaking under the floor and you don’t want to turn off the water mains to fix it. Then, you can call Iron Mountain Plumbing for further help in Hurricane, Utah, or the surrounding areas. Call 435-422-4667 today!