Types of Water Shutoff Valves and How to Choose One - The Spruce

Your home's plumbing system has a variety of water shutoff valves, which turn off water to specific areas or your entire home during emergencies, repairs, or upgrades. Whether you're looking to replace a broken valve or making new installations, you'll need to know what type of valve is best for your home and situation.

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There are several different types of water shutoff valves you could come across when making repairs and installing new plumbing. Below, we'll break down the ins and outs of what water valves do, each water shutoff valve type, and the factors to consider when choosing one for a project.

What Water Shutoff Valves Do

Water shutoff valves are fittings used in plumbing, which can control anything from individual fixtures such as faucets and toilets, to your home's entire water system.

The most common types of water shutoff valves for homes are ball valves and gate valves (found on main water pipes), angled and straight fixture shutoff valves (found on faucets, toilets, and appliances), and globe valves and stop-and-waste valves (found outdoors).

Valves generally work in one of two ways: either a solid internal part rotates to open or block the flow of water, or a stem with a washer or seal squeezes down to stop water flow.

As a homeowner, it's important to know where your home's main water shutoff valve is in order to shut off the entire water supply—and to be aware of the other valves, both indoors and outdoors. These valves control your garden hoses, sprinkler systems, and every single fixture water flows from in your home.

If you are installing a new sink or toilet while renovating, troubleshooting a washing machine, or repairing a leaky faucet, you'll need to know how to shut off the water to that specific area, and which type of water shutoff valve is compatible with your new or broken fixture.

How Shutoff Valves Are Connected

One important factor to consider when selecting the right water shutoff valve for your project is its connection type. Based on the material and type of pipe the valve will be connected to, the water pressure it needs to withstand, and the location of the pipe and valve, you'll need to find a valve with a compatible connection type to create a leak-proof seal.

The main types of valve connections in residential plumbing are:

• Threaded: valves with threaded connections act as fittings for threaded steel pipes to be screwed into; these pipes can be found on the main water line and some indoor fixtures.
• Compression: valves with compression connections are typically used on copper and plastic pipes, and are sealed by tightening a nut and ring.
• Push-in or push-to-connect: push-in valves are the easiest to install, are used on water supply lines to fixtures and appliances, and with copper, PEX, and PVC pipes.
• Soldered: sometimes seen in older homes with copper plumbing, soldered valves are sealed and secured to pipes using heat— which should only be done by a professional.

Shutoff Valve Materials

Another factor to keep in mind for your water shutoff valve is the material it is made of. The most popular choice is brass, due to its versatility, price, ability to be used indoors and outdoors, and resistance to corrosion over time. Stainless steel valves can also be used in the same settings, but tend to be more expensive.

In some low-pressure and low-temperature situations, such as a cold water supply line, plastic valves made from PVC, CPVC, and polypropylene are sometimes used for cost-effectiveness.

Where Shutoff Valves Are Located

Individual water shutoff valves (or isolation valves) can be found all over your home; behind appliances, under sinks, and around other fixtures. It's very to know where these smaller valves are, but knowing the location of your main water shutoff valve is absolutely crucial.

The main water shutoff valve will always be found along your main water line. It could be indoors in a basement or crawlspace or near your water heater, or outdoors near your water meter, on a wall outside your home in warmer states, or underneath a panel in your backyard.

There are seven common types of water shutoff valves you could see in and around your home. Use the guide below to learn where each type can be located, and what they look like:

Ball Valve

A ball valve is almost always used for a main water pipe. They are large metal valves, usually with lever handles, designed to quickly turn off water. They have a small ball inside with a hole through the middle, which rotates by 90 degrees to open and close the water when the valve's handle is used.

Gate Valve

Another type of valve you may see on your main water pipe is a gate valve, which, as the name implies, controls water flow with a metal gate inside which raises and lowers when the circular handle is turned. Although they are more common in industrial spaces, you might find a gate valve on major water pipes around your property or near your water boiler.

Globe Valve

Typically found on garden hoses and water spigots, a globe valve is a pricey but durable metal water shutoff valve which allows water flow to be gradually controlled rather than simply turned on and off.

Angled Fixture Shutoff Valve

Fixture shutoff valves are the most common valve type you'll find in your home, and can be seen near sink faucets, toilets, and any other fixture that runs water. Angled fixture shutoff valves are usually used when a water pipe comes out of the wall and needs to angle straight upward into a fixture.

Straight Fixture Shutoff Valve

Much like an angled fixture shutoff, a straight shutoff valve is a fairly inexpensive valve made of metal, and operates the same way with a small handle, but it's typically used where a water pipe comes up out of the floor rather than out from the wall.

Stop-and-Waste Valve

A stop-and-waste valve can be found below ground on your sprinkler system and is used to keep sprinkler lines from freezing in the winter. It's a moderately expensive but fairly durable valve made of metal, is turned on and off with a key, and has two openings: one to open and close the flow of water (stop) and the other to allow water to drain from the line (waste).

Needle Valve

What Are Valves and How Do They Work? 

At their most basic, valves are devices that work to control, regulate or direct flow within a system or process.

They often feature a range of characteristics that help to define their ideal application.

However, whether you’re looking to control flow, provide safety in a system that is piping liquids, solids, gasses or anything in between, there are likely stainless steel valves available to help.

Valves provide several functions, including:

• Starting or stopping flow based on the valve state
• Regulating flow and pressure within a piping system
• Controlling the direction of flow within a piping system
• Throttling flow rates within a piping system
• Improving safety through relieving pressure or vacuum in a piping system

Valve Opening Methods Explained

While many valves accomplish similar goals, how they do so mechanically can vary.

How a valve opens and closes will not only impact the overall performance but also determine how much control you have over the flow and how quickly the valve can operate.

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Most valves fit into one of three categories:

• Multi-Turn valves: Think of these valves like a screw or piston. You crank the handle and the plug, plate, membrane, or other controlling obstruction moves into the path of the pipe blocking access. Depending on the valve, these can have higher or lower differentials allowing you to open or close them at various speeds.
• Quarter turn valves: Quarter-turn valves offer a full range of motion in a 90-degree turn of the handle. This makes them ideal for situations where precision isn’t as important as rapid action and easy opening or closing.

On top of the mechanical motion involved with a valve, also consider the method of actuation. In most cases, valves fall into one of three categories:

• Manual Valves: Typically adjusted by hand, these valves use handwheels, hand levels, gear wheels, or chains to actuate.
• Actuated Valves: Often connected to electric motors, air or pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, or solenoids, these valves allow remote control and automation for high-precision or large-scale applications.
• Automatic Valves: Some valves activate when a specific flow condition is met. Examples include check valves closing during backflow or pressure release valves activating when an over-pressure condition is detected.

Common Valve Types and Their Applications

Valves feature a range of characteristics, standards, and groupings the help to give you an idea of their intended applications and expected performance. Valve designs are one of the most basic ways to sort the huge range of valves available and finding a good fit for a project or process.

Common types of valves include:

You might also see valves classified by function instead of design.

Common functional designations and their common design types include:

• Isolation Valves: Ball, butterfly, diaphragm, gate, pinch, piston, and plug valves
• Regulation Valves: Ball, butterfly, diaphragm, globe, needle, pinch, and plug valves
• Safety Relief Valves: Pressure release and vacuum relief valves
• Non-Return Valves: Swing check and lift check valves
• Special Purpose Valves: Multi-port, float, foot, knife gate, and line blind valves

Valve Sizing Explained: Keeping Things Flowing

While valves might be a small part of your piping process or system in terms of space, they’re often a substantial portion of the design and build budget. They also have a significant impact on long-term costs and overall system performance.

Choosing a proper valve size is essential to both optimizing costs and ensuring safe, accurate, and reliable operation.

The first thing to consider is the overall size of the valve -- both in terms of physical dimensions and in terms of internal size and flow rates (CV).

Choosing a valve that does not fit properly in the space required could result in added costs. Choosing a valve which does not provide the ideal flow rate can lead to inaccurate flow control at the least and complete system failure at worst.

For example, if your valve is too small, it could cause reduced flow downstream while creating back-pressure upstream. If the valve is too large, you’ll find that flow control is drastically reduced the further you move from fully open or fully closed.

When choosing the proper size, be sure to consider both the connector diameter and the overall flow rate of the valve compared to your needs. Some valves offer excellent flow while others constrict flow and increase pressure.

This means sometimes you must install a larger valve to adjust for flow than the adapter diameter alone might imply.

Valve End Connections: The Key to a Good Fit and Proper Operation

With sizing and design out of the way, it’s also important to consider valve end connections.

While the most obvious implication here is choosing an end connection compatible with your piping, there are also functional characteristics to common end types that might make one valve more suited to your needs than another.

Common valve connections and ends include:

• Screwed or Threaded: Often used in instrument connections or sample points
• Flanged: The most common ends for piping use
• Butt Welded: Typically used in high-pressure or high-temperature operations
• Socket Welded: Commonly used on small bore piping where threaded connections are not permitted
• Wafer and Lug: Often used for compact valves installed in systems with limited space

Valve Materials: Ensuring Safety and Long-Lasting Performance

Depending on your intended use, the materials with which your valves are made might be a critical aspect in ensuring safe operation and reducing maintenance and replacement costs over the life of your operation.

Stainless steel valves are excellent options in a range of processing environments, including those involving corrosive media (such as chemicals, saltwater, and acids), environments with strict sanitation standards (such as food and beverage manufacturing and pharmaceuticals), and processes involving high pressure or high temperatures.

However, if you are processing solvents, fuels, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), choosing a valve material from a non-sparking material -- such as brass, bronze, copper, or even plastic -- is often a better option. In addition to selecting the correct body material, internal (wetted) trim parts should be evaluated for chemical compatibility as well. If your valve contains elastomers, they should also be evaluated for their chemical compatibility as well as pressure and temperature limitations.

Valve Standards: Meeting Compliance and Regulatory Concerns

Depending on your intended usage, you might find that valves must adhere to particular standards to meet regulatory requirements for safety, sanitation, or other concerns.

While there are too many standard organizations and potential regulations to cover in detail, common general standard organizations include:

• CSA Group (CSA)
• The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• The American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• The American Society for Testing Materials International (ASTM International)
• The Manufacturers Standardization Society (MSS)
• The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• The Public Health and Safety Organization (NSF)
• NACE International (NACE)
• The American Petroleum Institute (API)
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)

There are also industry-specific standards to consider.

Major standards organizations by industry include:

• ASHRAE Valve Standards
• ASME BPVC Valve Standards
• ASSE Valve Standards
• ISA Valve Standards
• NFPA Valve Standards
• SAE Valve Standards

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right valve for your project might seem complex. However, by starting with general characteristics -- such as valve design, valve size and actuation method -- you can quickly limit your options to determine the best valves for your needs.

Whether you’re designing a new processing system or looking to make upgrades to or maintain an existing system, Unified Alloys’ selection of valves and fittings can help you find the ideal solution for your application and usage environment. As a leading provider of stainless steel alloys, valves, flanges, and more, our experts have helped industries across Canada and North America for more than 4 decades. Need assistance or have a question? Contact us for personalized help.

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