16 Feb. 21

Types of Water Shutoff Valves

You have to trust us when we say that a local water supply shutoff valve is considered as your friend and knowing the types of water shutoff valves can help you at home. You will understand it when you have to change the faucet or repair the toilet and then discover that the plumber, give no way to closely shut off the water to the plumbing fixture.

However, local shutoff valves may also be the maintenance issue. The older valves, particularly the cheaper one multi-turn valve may leak if you go in shutting them off right after the long time of use.

The primary time you go in a plumbing store or by the big box house repair store to purchase the shut-off valve you will be faced with the seemingly endless choices. And so it is best to understand the different kinds of valves that can be availed and how to choose the appropriate kind of valve for the kind of water supply lines you had in your house.

The Quarter Turn and the Multi-Turned Water Stop Valves

The shut off valves had been named as the ‘stop’ valves and it comes in 2 versions; the ‘Angle’ (90-degrees bend) edition and the straight ‘Stop’ version. The image of the quarter turn valve and the multi-turn valve look similar, however, you will see the difference in a valve neck/stem area.

Types:

Aside from the angled and the straight version of a valve stop, a multi-turn and a quarter alternatives within the valve itself, there’d been a variety of the water supply line alternatives that affect the kind of valve you have to buy.

Here are the common valve stops that you may find:

  1. Copper pipe supply line
    • Compression fit / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
    • Sweat fitting / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
    • Push-fit / quarter turn valve stops / angled or straight
  2. Iron pipe supply lines (threaded)
    • FIP threaded fitting / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
  3. CVPC supply lines
    • Threaded fitting / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
    • Push-fit / quarter turn valve stops / angled or straight
  4. PEX supply lines
    • Barbed fitting / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
    • Compression fit / quarter turn or multi-turn valve stop / angled or straight
    • Push-fit / quarter turn valve stops / angled or straight

Compression Fit Stop Valve

The compression fit stop valve is used with PEX and copper water supply line. It comes in quarter turn and multi-turn options.

This multi-turn valve stops are marginally affordable than the quarter turn valves and are made with the compression washers and the plastic stems. It requires some more turns of a stem to shut-off that water flow. When the valves are getting older and are fixed at the ‘on’ place, they seemed to leak when really used in shutting the water-supply off.

These quarter-turn valve stops are slightly more costly than the multi-turn valve, however, are better made and much more reliable. This uses the positive action ball valves in control the water flow and shutting water on and also off with the quarter turn valve handle. Very problem free, and very reliable and for the price differences, we do not know why anybody would buy the multi-turn valve, and both these valves have been readily available in any hardware stores.

The PEX or the copper water supply line may have the compression nut initially fitted above a supply line and the copper compression sleeve can slide above a supply line. The sleeve is being compressed by a compression nut as a nut is being tightened to stop valve.

If choosing the proper supply line sizes for its fitting you have to be attentive of the term being used to illustrate an inlet size. This term is the NOM Com or the ‘Nominal Compression’ sizing.

This NOM term pertains to the construction trade dimension conversion of the copper pipe’s inside the diameter (ID) and the outside diameter (OD). And so the 5/8″ copper pipe OD can have the 1/2″ ID. The 1/2″ COM fit is sized for the 5/8″ OD pipes.

Sweat Fitting Stop Valve

The sweat fitting water shut-off valve is designed to become useful as one non-leaking, non-removable connection to the copper water supply lines. The sizing of water supply lines had been COM dimensions also where the 1/2″ COM fittings are sized for the 5/8″ OD pipe.

The fittings require some of the skill when installing as they should be soldered onto a copper pipe and can require the propane torch, copper tube cutter, emery cloth sandpaper, solder, and flux.

Push Fit Stop Valves

types of water shutoff valves

The push-fit valve stop is the latest technology that you can avail and are the simplest to install and also the most versatile. It used to be expensive, but you may take the press-fit shut-off valves for an almost similar price as the normal quarter-turn compression valves.

The valves can work with PEX, even CPVC and copper pipe water supply lines. It can be installed simply, just make sure the square cut on a supply line and then press on.

Female Iron Pipe or FIP Threaded Fitting Shut off Valves

types of water shutoff valves

The female iron pipe or FIP shut off valve is used with the threaded galvanize steel pipes water supply line. It is requiring the pipe thread compound that will simply screw off and on a supply pipe.

Barb Fitting Stop Valves

types of water shutoff valves

The barbed water shut-off valve is the kind of valve being used with the PEX water supply tube. PEX can also use the compression fitting that allows standard tools for the installation. The barbed fitting can require the crimp ring and the exclusive crimping tool to overall the PEX connection.

Related post:

Eight Types of Toilets

7 Insider Tips That You Need When You Are Hiring Your Residential Plumber Within A Budget

How To Avoid The DIY Plumbing Disaster