In everyday life, a person uses water and gas daily, which come through pipes. It is very important for us that the flow of liquid or gas flow freely or shut off in time. Shut-off valves, in particular shut-off valves, are used for this. Often, the operation of many large enterprises — water utilities, heating networks, oil refineries, chemical plants, and gas pipelines — depends on the health of the valves. The valves are different - shutoff direct and reverse, safety, regulating, which can be automatic or controlled either manually or by an electric drive.
Shut-off valves help us block the flow of any liquid or gas by turning the valve. Using safety valves, excess air or water can be drained from the system (which is especially important for systems where the flow moves under pressure), and the non- return valve prevents the liquid or gas from moving in the opposite direction.
Direct shut-off valve is traditionally used in two-pipe water heating systems, where copper pipes or stainless steel are provided. Using the valve, you can turn off a single heating device and dismantle it without letting water out of the entire system.
A sealless sealless shut - off valve for water of the membrane type is usually placed on water pipes. Such valves are leakproof because they are made in the form of a flask and are not equipped with external seals that wear out. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it does not affect the throughput, since it works from zero pressure.
Shutoff valves are most often used for pipelines of small diameter, since at high pressures great efforts are required to control them. This is perhaps their only drawback. Also, unlike valves, valves have “dead” zones where rust or other solid particles can accumulate, which can lead to corrosion.
By design, the shutoff valves differ from the gate valves in that the flow movement coincides with the movement of the shutter. The small stroke of the shutter, as well as the minimum construction height, provided the valves with much greater popularity. Shut-off valves are also highly resistant to high pressure and temperatures. They can be operated in hostile environments.
Shut-off valves today for various needs and depending on the used pipe material can be made of steel, brass, bronze, glass, plastic, porcelain, titanium.
Design features depend on the application of the shutoff valves. For example, the corner is installed on the turns of the pipelines, and on the horizontal or vertical sections of the pipes a check valve and a direct-flow valve are installed. In this case, the arrow on the product body always strictly corresponds to the flow direction.
A variety of nuances in the design allows the use of shut-off valves in many areas. So, they are equipped with pumps, compressors, even internal combustion engines.