There are three basic types of valves used in irrigation systems – gate valves, ball valves, and electric valves. Gate and ball valves are both manual valves that can be used if you do not plan to automate your irrigation system.
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The gate valve has a simple “gate” inside the valve body that is raised or lowered into the water flow by turning the handle many times. When it is lowered fully the gate stops the water flow.
The ball valve has a “ball” with a hole drilled through it. Turning the handle one-quarter turn lines this hole up with the piping and allows water to flow. Turn the handle back one-quarter turn to turn off the valve. This quick on-off action can cause water hammer problems in some systems, so to be on the safe side always turn a ball valve on and off slowly. Both the gate and ball valve work well for manual systems.
The electric valve used with automatic timers is a diaphragm valve with a 24 volt AC solenoid. Apply 24 volts to the solenoid and the valve will open, remove the voltage and the valve will close. These valves also have a feature that will allow you to turn the valve on without electricity if necessary, but once manually turned on the valve must be manually turned off.
Some homeowners are concerned about the electric wires in the yard used to connect the electric valves to the timer. The 24 volt system used to operate the valves is similar to that used for model trains – enough voltage to open the valves, but not enough to pose a shock or electrocution threat should you accidentally cut a wire with a shovel.
Any valve installed in the landscape should be placed in a valve box for easy access. The valve box is simply a small bucket with an easily-removed top, no bottom, and openings in the sides to allow pipe to run through. Valve boxes are installed with the top at ground level and are designed to allow lawn mowers to run over them with no damage. The tops are usually green to make them less conspicuous in the landscape. Any valve will require maintenance at some point, so always install them in valve boxes so that they can be easily found and repaired.
All municipal water systems require some type of anti-siphon or backflow prevention device. This device prevents water in the irrigation system from re-entering and possibly contaminating the drinking water system. Each water system determines the type of device required for their system.
The most common device is the double check valve. This is simply an assembly containing two check valves in series. The theory is that should one check valve fail, the second one will still operate and prevent backflow and possible contamination.
Some municipalities in coastal South Carolina require an anti-siphon device to be installed above ground instead of a backflow preventer. These devices work well when no ground elevation is present in the system.
All backflow prevention or anti-siphon devices have a number of small test ports to allow testing of the device. South Carolina law requires that these devices be tested annually to make sure they are operating properly.
Irrigation systems may be operated manually with manual valves, or automatically with electric diaphragm valves and timers. All South Carolina landscape irrigation systems require some type of backflow prevention device if they are connected to a municipal water system.
Originally published 05/08
A non-rising stem gate valve is ideal for a limited-space irrigation system where positive shutoff is needed. That’s because irrigation pipe gate valves are designed in a way that makes them take up less space. Plus, they’re easier to padlock and more economical. That’s why we offer such a wide variety of these valves from the market’s top brands, like Leemco, Nibco and Legend Valve.
We’ve got any non-rising stem irrigation gate valve you need - from brass irrigation gate valves with screw-in bonnets for pressure-tight seals to cast iron, push-on, resilient gate wedge valves for full flow with minimal pressure drop. Just click to order, and save an additional 1 percent on each order when you get a free Pro Login account.
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Irrigation system gate valves are multi-purpose, bi-directional shutoff valves for commercial and industrial applications. These on-off valves are designed to use a sliding plate, slab or wedge within the valve body to stop, limit, or permit full flow. They’re ideal when you need a straight-line flow of fluid and minimum flow restriction.
These valves can also isolate specific areas of the water supply network during maintenance, new installations or other instances in which water flow needs to be rerouted throughout the pipeline. Their simple design can be applied in many low pressure-drop services, which makes them one of the most common valves in use today.
Where space is at a premium and you need positive shutoff, non-rising stem gate valves are the perfect choice. That’s where Reinders comes in, with a wide variety of these space-saving, economical valves in bronze, brass and cast iron.
Bronze irrigation gate valves are fairly inexpensive and extremely ductile, so they resist breaking when bent. They’re also great for resisting corrosion, particularly from any corrosives similar to seawater. That’s why even the ancient Romans made flow control valves out of bronze!
Nibco, known for its high-quality, versatile and economical irrigation gate valves, makes high-quality bronze irrigation pipe gate valves with non-rising stems. These bronze valves are specifically designed for irrigation in-ground applications, with a cross-type operating handle used in conjunction with a remote operating wrench.
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Specifically, Reinders offers the following popular sizes of Nibco bronze non rising stem gate valves for irrigation system pipe, although sizes range from ¼-inch to 3 inches. Please refer to Nibco technical data sheets, chemical resistance guides and catalogs for engineering and installation information:
Brass irrigation pipe gate valves are considered by many to be superior to bronze valves in terms of durability, malleability (for bending without cracking) and performance. Brass is more corrosion resistant than bronze, for instance, and has very low (to no) levels of lead. However, brass valves can cost more and may undergo dezincification when in contact with high levels of chlorine.
Reinders carries Legend Valve’s 1/2" S-400 Brass Compact Gate Valve, Sweat x Sweat. It’s rated at 200 PSI for non-shock cold working pressure and a maximum working temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reinders also offers full port brass irrigation gate valves by Nibco. They all offer NPT X NPT end connections and cast-iron handwheels for commercial irrigation systems:
As far as materials go, cast iron is the most inexpensive choice. Yet it can handle extremely high temperatures and intense vibrations without damage. Cast-iron, resilient wedge irrigation gate valves by Nibco are designed to provide full flow with minimal pressure drop and positive shutoff. These valves also feature IPS PVC push-on end connections for easy installation and accessibility.
These cast-iron gate valves with non-rising stems for irrigation pipe are operated with a square operating nut and wrench. Their fusion-bonded, epoxy-coasted bodies are NSF and FDA certified. And they meet or exceed performance requirements of AWWA C509 and C515 for 3-inch and larger valves.
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We offer these valves in a wide variety of sizes, including:
Can’t find the irrigation gate valve model you need for your irrigation pipe system? Just contact us! It’s easy to find what you need at Reinders, with our seasoned pros ready to help. Or, if visiting one of our local stores, check with your friendly in-store associate!
In addition to Reinders’ gate valves for on-off control in irrigation pipe systems, we also offer globe valves.
One of the main differences between a gate valve and a globe valve is how they look. The gate valve construction is much simpler. Most of its internal components are located on the top part of the valve body. When it is turned on, its body becomes hollow. That’s why there is a little pressure drop. The gate valve may have a non-rising or rising stem. In comparison, many globe valve parts are inside the cavity itself.
Globe valves are designed to provide a tight, efficient seal to limit the risk of leakage. They’re good throttling valves because their seats are parallel to the media flow, preventing erosion of the seat when the valve is on. Globe valves experience high-pressure drops and are more resistant to water flow when the valve is turned on.
Applications that encounter high temperatures or high pressures call for globe valves. They’re also appropriate when you need a safe, leak-proof solution that resists corrosion. Due to their capabilities, globe valves are more costly than gate valves for irrigation pipes but are a worthwhile expense in certain applications.
If that’s what you need, we offer the Leemco Globe Valve - LGV-200BB. In this valve, lateral to mainline connection is made with a resilient, seated globe valve.
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Looking for a different type of valve? Check out many other different kinds sprinkler and irrigation valves carried by Reinders for a variety of different irrigation applications and systems, from top irrigation valve brands like Nibco, Leemco, Legend Valve, Irritrol, Hunter Industries, Toro, Weathermatic and more:
Ball valves – for cutting off and adjusting water flow, including three-way ball valves, which can flexibly cut off, distribute and change the direction of the flow.
Electric anti-siphon valves – that serve as combination control valves and atmospheric back-flow preventers.
In-line electric valves - used to regulate the flow of water on a sprinkler system, but unlike anti siphon valves, do not offer protection from backflow. However, in-line valves are designed to be installed under the ground to hide the plumbing. Usually, they are installed along with backflow prevention devices and vacuum breakers.