Ball check valve: description, specifications, device and reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The creators of piping systems expected that water or any other product would move in one direction. But practice shows that there are exceptions. To avoid emergency situations, if the flow goes the other way, a check valve or one of its varieties - a ball valve is used in the pipelines. Consider the device and principle of operation of the check valve and, in particular, ball elements. We will also learn how to choose the right device.

Device

A typical ball valve is a cylinder with a spring and locking device inside. In our case, this is a ball. In other types of mechanisms, a plate may be used. In the basic assembly, the valve is in the closed state due to the spring located inside. However, under the influence of flow, this part can reduce the pressure force, and the valve will open. The flow will go through it.

If the pressure drops (and this can happen due to leaks, stopping the pumpingsystem or for other reasons), the spring force will close the locking mechanism. If the pressure moves towards the valve, then, thanks to the locking element, the liquid will not be able to pass.

Types of mechanisms

In today's market you can find a lot of devices - they differ in characteristics and cost. As for materials, most often these products are made of carbon and stainless steels, cast irons, brass, bronze and even plastic.

Wafer Butterfly Valves

The design of this mechanism is a spring. Such solutions are considered the most compact among what the modern industry produces. The shutter uses a disk equipped with a spring.

The overall dimensions of such devices can be from 15 to 20 mm. The principle of operation is simple. If the pipeline begins to lose pressure, the spring will press the plate or valve disc against the seat. The flow hole is closed. After the pressure is restored to the desired level, the spring will be pressed out, and the liquid will be able to flow again. In serious and large pipelined hydraulic systems, double-leaf designs equipped with shock absorbers are more often used. With the help of these elements, water hammer is mitigated at the moment the pump stops. The principle of operation is quite simple. The valve works until the valve is folded in half under the pressure of the flow. If the pressure goes in the opposite direction, then the plate will return to its normal position. This valve has sizes from 50 to 700mm.

Advantages of wafer elements

Among the advantages, reviews note compactness and light weight. The design does not have flanges, so they are significantly smaller than ball check valves. The device is also lighter in weight. Other advantages include the ability to install not only horizontally, but also vertically. Installation of these systems is also not difficult, which is a big plus. The disadvantages include the need to dismantle the device for its repair.

Lift valve

In these systems, a special lifting spool is used as the valve mechanism - hence its name.

If the medium pressure in the pipeline is not too high, then the element will sink into the saddle, thereby blocking the flow back. When the pressure is high enough to operate the system, then the element will rise. These solutions are installed only on horizontal sections in the pipeline. It is very important that the axis of the spool is located purely vertically. The ball valve in this regard is much simpler. There are no such requirements for him.

Ball return mechanism

This design differs from all the others in that a ball is used as a locking element, which is pressed by a spring. Ball check valves, for all their simplicity, have a lot of advantages and are widely used not only in plumbing, but also in large pumping stations, as well as in various industries. As already noted, a ball is used here as a locking element.

This is a special piece made of cast iron or aluminum that is coated with a layer of rubber. Thus, the ball valve effectively prevents the reverse movement of the medium. When the liquid moves in the right direction, the element is pushed up the body - there is a special niche for it. If the direct movement of the flow stops, under the weight of its own weight, the ball will roll into the lower part of the body and thereby block the movement of the medium. The ball check valve is also convenient because a special cover is installed in the upper part of the device with the possibility of its removal. It is designed to carry out minor repairs and maintenance of the mechanism without having to completely remove the instrument.

The cover is fixed on the case by means of bolts. And to reduce the risk of leakage, it is additionally equipped with a rubber sealing ring. In everyday life and in industry, automatic solutions are also used today. They are necessary in order to block the movement of the medium if the operator for some reason cannot do this. Here, a valve is used on a ball valve, equipped with automation. Reviews note ease of use.

Electronics will independently block the movement of the medium in the other direction and turn off the tap. This solution keeps hydraulic systems safe.

Installation Requirements

The ball check valve must be installed correctly - the only way it can properly perform its task. If the installation is horizontal, then the ball chamber mustto look up. Only in this case the element rolls down. If the installation is vertical, then the direction of flow must be from bottom to top.

Ball valve specifications

One of the main characteristics is the bore diameter or nominal diameter. This parameter is referred to as DN. Reviews say that this parameter is conditional and does not always correspond to the actual inner diameter of the pipeline. It is also necessary to take into account the wall thickness of the pipes. There are other factors to consider when choosing a valve. For example, such a parameter as nominal pressure is important.

This is the maximum value at which a flanged ball valve can be safely operated. All allowable figures are indicated in GOSTs - you can focus on the index 26349-84. Also, when choosing, European and American standards should be applied.

Varieties of connection

By type of installation, check valves may vary. For example, for polypropylene pipelines, the element is only welded. There is also a flange ball valve. What is this type of connection? Here, fastening is carried out through flanges, but this is only relevant for large diameters. You can also select an alternative method of connection by means of a threaded coupling. Reviews say that this option can only be used on pipelines of small diameters. And finally, the wafer type of connection. Here the valve is installed between two elements in the pipeline.

Producers and prices

Among the products,which is presented in stores for household pipelines, you can find both imported European products and domestic ones. The price depends on the characteristics, namely the passage diameter, as well as the working pressure and other parameters. For a pipeline with a diameter of 50 mm of a domestic manufacturer for a ball valve, the price will be 1,200 rubles.