Check valves allow flow in one direction only, preventing backflow and ensuring safety. They can be used for creating watertight seals and directing fluids efficiently. Different types include ball, swing, and diaphragm check valves. They are required by law in some regions and are important components in medical equipment. Check valves come in different diameters and carrying capacities, and should exceed the potential pressure of the system. The heart also has check valves to allow one-way flow of blood.
A check valve is a type of valve that allows flow in one direction only. These valves are often designed for safety reasons, to prevent backflow, and to ensure that someone operating a system knows which direction fluids and gases are flowing. Check valves can also be used for tasks such as creating watertight seals, which can be an important safety or future convenience. They are also used for the routine task of directing fluids or gases efficiently through a system.
Also known as a one-way valve or a non-return valve, a check valve can work in several ways. One of the more common styles is the ball valve, made by fitting a ball onto a disc with a small bore. Liquid or gas can flow through the hole and around the ball, but when it tries to push the other way, it pushes the ball against the puck, creating a seal. Other styles include swing, swing and diaphragm check valves, each designed for different applications.
In some regions of the world, check valves may be required by law with certain types of systems, for safety reasons. For example, a water heater and associated plumbing use check valves to control pressure and reduce the risk of explosion. Check valves are also important components in many types of medical equipment, such as non-rebreather masks used to deliver supplemental oxygen. Most plumbing systems have at least one check valve, and the complicated arrangements of those valves are used for safety in chemical plants, tankers, and a variety of other facilities.
Check valves are available in a range of diameters for different types of piping. They are also tested to determine their carrying capacity, determining how much pressure is required to rupture the valve. As a general rule, experts recommend purchasing check valves with pressure ratings that exceed the potential pressure that can be generated by a system, ensuring that the check valve will hold even if the system reaches a critical pressure point.
The check valve is also located inside the body. The heart, for example, has what are essentially check valves that allow for one-way flow of blood through the heart. These valves prevent oxygenated blood from flowing back into the heart and push deoxygenated blood through the heart and are designed to deal with a high level of pressure and withstand years of use; nature can be an excellent engineer, it seems.
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