What Is a Check Valve?
Check valves are often referred to as misunderstood or forgotten by many industry experts.
However, check valves are one of the most important valves in a system. They work to ensure smooth operations and safety. But what is a check valve and how does it work?
What Is a Check Valve & Their Purpose?
what is a check valveCheck valves are found in just about any type of facility from industrial plants to homes. They help to prevent reverse flow of fluids and gases within a system. Simply put, their sole purpose is to keep fluid flowing forward.
They’re two-port valves designed for specific cracking pressure, or the amount of upstream pressure needed for a valve to work. On top of that, check valves are self-automated, so they don’t need any form of manual assistance to help them open and close.
How Do Check Valves Work?
The overall construction of check valves is designed to keep fluids in one direction through a pipeline. These valves come with a clapper that’s attached to a hinge and a clapper shift or pint that’s mounted to the underside of the bonnet within the body of the valve.
The clapper lifts and allows fluid to flow through the system in one direction. This causes the valve to open. If fluid pressure decreases or flow begins to reverse, the flapper is triggered to close to help maintain directional flow.
How much the valve will open depends on the flow rate of the system, or the amount of fluid passingthrough. The more fluid traveling through the pipeline, the more the valve will open.
Usually, the full open position of a check valve is about 85 degrees depending on the type you’re using.
Learn more about how a check valve works here.
Why Do You Need Check Valves?
what is a check valveCheck valves are one of the most-used valves available and for good reason. These valves can help to boost efficiency and ensure safety for many types of systems.
For example, check valves can operate even when a facility loses power or when a device is off. This means they can keep the flow rate and direction steady so reverse flow is prevented.
Check valves can also help to prevent flooding in devices like water heaters. Plus they work to prevent damage to control valves, strainers, and flow meters caused by reverse flow of materials.