Selection Guide Of A Knife Gate Valve

Knife gate valves may sell for different prices depending on the size, material and technology it has. You must consider carefully to choose.

 

Plumbing has been one of the most important aspects in any home, establishment, or industry. Most commonly, this is one of the most regarded parts of the construction, next to the structure. For plumbing, an important piece is always the valves that are being used. One of the most common types of valve in use with everyday plumbing is a knife gate valve. These valves are bi-directional valves or simply put valves that can allow fluids to flow inward or outward.

A knife gate valve is a simple mechanism consisting of a gate that goes up and down instead of turning to let the fluids flow through. One good thing about this valve is its design. It is not bulky unlike other valves and does not take much space in any plumbing system, aside from the knob to raise and lower the gate. Common installations for these kinds of valves are for fluids especially those that flow at quite a high rate of pressure. The industry can pretty much utilize these gate valves for any liquid it may carry, however, the right kind and size of valve has to be carefully considered in order to maximize the valve’s capacity and durability.

These valves are mostly made of either brass or stainless steel. Several companies though have their own technologies and designs in order to make them more efficient than the others. The good thing about this is that the valve can be used for a multitude of liquids, ranging from water to fuels like gasoline to chemicals. One of the important things to look for in selecting the proper valve is the shallowness of the valve seat. Since the gate’s design is to go up and down, if the liquids that flow through tend to bring in sediments or other debris, it may stay in the valve seat, causing the valve to close incorrectly, letting any liquid leak through. This may be bad especially for the operation of the entire system. It is best to look for the valve with the shallowest valve seat but can still seal the fluids in properly.

Another thing to look for with these valves is the size. These valves come in a range of sizes from the smallest ones at least being ½ inch in diameter to really huge applications that can be 1 meter wide. Because of the versatility and compact form factor of the knife gate valve, it can be really used for any sized diameter and can carry a number of fluids that would pass through it.

With any application of course, it is always best to properly maintain these mechanisms as they convey an important role in a plumbing system. You may visit this page to know how to maintain a knife gate valve to better prolong the life of the gate valve. These valves may sell for different prices depending on the size, material and technology it has. It may come cheap or really expensive but it is always best to properly maintain them. Not only would it save time, it can save money as well.