Gate Valve Various Types and Its Importance

Gate valve, which is also known as knife valve or slide, is basically used to control the flow of water or any kind of liquid through a pipe or duct. When these valves are turned a closure element moves up and down to obstruct the flow of liquid. It is widely used in many places including homes, factories, large industries, hotels and so forth. Gate Valve- The Different TypesDue to the widespread uses and advantages of gate valve, it can be found in different varieties to suit the different requirements. Some of the most popular varieties include the following. Parallel valves: These valves control the flow of liquid by utilising a flat disc that is placed between two parallel seats. These two seats are placed in an upstream and downstream manner. This can be used effectively to control the flow of water. Wedge valves: The wedge gate valve is one of the most popular varieties of valves. It has a misaligned gate and two inclined seats. Rising stem valves: This is the most common variety of valve used in most of the areas today. It has a round handle which is attached to a shaft or stem. This shaft rises as the handle is turned, to open the valve. The shaft comes down when the valve is closed. Though it is one of the most popular types of valves, it cannot be used in areas where there is space constraint. Non-rising stem valves: This gate valve is popularly used for underground pipes where it is difficult for the shaft to raise. The valve can be opened by rotating the handle to the left and closed by rotating it fully to the right. It is quite easy to padlock the non-rising stem valves compared to the rising stem valves. The non-rising stem valves require only one paddock unlike the rising stem valves which require two paddocks. Significance of Gate ValveThough the basic function of these valves is to control the flow of liquid, it can seldom be used to regulate the flow of liquid in a continuous manner. It is usually used to completely shut down or open the duct. Most of the valves are designed specifically to allow free flow of liquid or to shut down the flow completely. However, there are valves which can be utilised to regulate the flow of liquid but it operates in a more complex manner and seldom lasts longer.These valves are more often used to control the flow of liquids which are thicker in consistency such as cream, oil and so forth. Nevertheless, it can seldom be utilised for controlling the flow of clean liquids.