Valves are an important component in aquarium filtration systems. They start, stop, and regulate the flow of water and prevent leaks in case of emergency or maintenance tasks. You’ll find valves used in refugiums, contactors, protein skimmers and on water pumps. Even canister filters use small shut-off valves on the quick-disconnect feature.
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If you’re building or modifying a filtration system with valves, you’ll find a dizzying array to choose from online and in stores. However, not all valves are the same. Some valves are designed for regulating air flow or gases like propane. Using the wrong valve can reduce the flow rate and make it difficult to maintain your filtration system or even leach metal into your aquarium water. Here’s what you need to know about aquarium-safe valves and how to choose the right valve for your setup.
Let’s start off with the assumption that we’re discussing valves for controlling water flow in an aquarium. You can immediately eliminate the following types of valves from your shopping list. Most of these are found in big-box home stores.
There are a variety of reasons not to use these valves. Any metal can corrode in salt water and cause problems and gas valves are normally made of metal. Aquarium air line valves aren’t water-tight and often have metal parts. Some check valves have metal springs or hinges. Look for valves made of PVC. They’re completely safe and fully compatible with your PVC pipe and fittings. The two most-used valves in aquaculture, public aquariums, and hobbyist aquarium systems are ball, gate valves, and check valves.
Ball valves have a spherical (ball) closure unit. The ball has a port (bore) through the center. When the valve handle is positioned so that the bore is in the same direction as the pipe, it’s in the open position, and water can flow through it. When the handle is rotated 90°, the ball turns and the bore becomes perpendicular to the flow path, closing the valve and stopping the flow. Ball valves come in a variety of sizes for almost any plumbing idea you can think of. They are typically used on the return water line to easily cut the flow of water but can also be used to regular flow to an extent.
Example of ball valve positions from open to close
Types of Ball Valves - Ball valves come in a variety of sizes to match common PVC pipe sizes. The most basic and economical ball valve has slip fittings on both ends. The valve is glued onto the PVC pipe. Other options include the use of one or two true unions connections which make it easy to remove the valve for cleaning or temporarily remove hard piped equipment, like a return pump or reactor. Simply close the valve, loosen the union nut and the fitting can be removed.
Full Bore vs. Reduced Bore - A inside a reduced bore ball valve is one pipe size smaller than the valve's pipe size. This restriction causes a reduction in flow rate. The main purpose of a reduced bore ball valve is to throttle back the flow even when the valve is fully open. Full bore ball valves are more common in the aquarium hobby. The inside flow area of the valve matches the pipe size. If you’re shopping for a ball valve, just be aware of the difference and how it might affect your application.
Gate valves have a flat closure panel that moves up and down instead of a rotating ball. The gate is connected to the stem of the handwheel. When you turn the handwheel, the gate moves up, allowing water to flow. Rotating the handwheel counterclockwise, lowers the gate back in place, stopping the water flow. These are best for your drain where regulating flow is desirable.
You may come across something called a knife or dump valve. They’re in the gate valve category but are made for applications where you want a fully open or closed valve without turning a wheel or lever. Just pull or push the handle to open or close the valve. It’s like an on/off switch for water.
Check valves are designed to only allow water flow to go in one direction. The check valve is installed on the return line, between the return pump and return inlet. This prevents water from back siphoning when the aquarium return pump is shut off, which could otherwise cause a flood. When the pump is on, the water pressure pushes the valve open. When the pump is shut off, gravity will close the valve. Check valves are also used for auto-top-off plumbing, so that aquarium water does not back siphon into the RO or RO/DI reservoir.
Ball, gate, and check valves come in a variety of sizes and fitting configurations. While ball valves are the most popular style, gate valves are a bit more compact, in terms of the handle. The rotating handwheel fits in places where the lever on a ball valve may interfere with the filter system. Some aquarists like the precise flow control of a gate valve vs a ball valve. Where as check valves do not adjust the flow rate.
To choose the right valve note that PVC fittings are listed according to PVC pipe sizes, not the actual measurement of the part, and are categorized by the types of connections they make:
Two Little Fishies offers a one-piece ball valve with barbed fittings which makes it easy for attachment to flexible tubing.
You might also encounter "quick release" valves which are common on canister filters and smaller diameter flexible tubing where a union is not practical. These simply make disconnect easy and allow you to stop the flow of water before disconnecting.
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:
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.
Most valves fit into one of three categories:
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:
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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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
There are also industry-specific standards to consider.
Major standards organizations by industry include:
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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