Valve Distributors Key Terms

Familiarize yourself with valve distributors key terms

By Amy Lynn

Valve distributors can work with just one type of valve, or may stock many different types of valves. Understanding the different types of valves needed for different applications can help you find the distributor that best fits your business needs. Whether you need valves for oil pipes or for water and steam pipes, discovering some of the valve distributors key terms will be beneficial in your search for distributors.

American Water Works Association (AWWA)

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) was founded in 1881. It currently sets standards, through a committee and formal approval process, for design and products used in the water industry, including standards for valves.
Try: American Water Works Association gives details about their standards and why they should be followed.

Check valves

Check valves can be used for gas, oil or water lines, and are made with an iron body.
Try: Kennedy Valve Company has product descriptions of their check valves (PDF). They also include very detailed charts and diagrams of these different types of valves.

Pneumatic valves

Pneumatic valves are often used in machinery for production of textiles, food industry and industrial washing.
Try: Pro.com shows an example of a pneumatic valve and gives a description of what they are used for.

Solenoid valves

Solenoid valves can be used in many applications. They are used for oil, water, gas and liquid. Some solenoid valves are also used for steam and air.
Try: Sizto Tech Corporation has pictures of different solenoid valves, along with a product description and specifications for each.

Air valves

Air valves pump air out of pipes to keep systems running smoothly. Releasing air through an air valve keeps the system from getting damaged. Air is usually pumped out during start-up, shut-down or when problems occur in the system.
Try: Val-Matic has a picture of an air valve and a description of how and when they are used.

Ball valves

Ball valves are used for high temperature and high volume applications. They can be made of brass, iron, stainless steel or plastic. Ball valves come in one, two and three piece designs, as well as a flanged body style.
Try: Thomas Publishing Company has a good description of ball valves, when they are used and how they are used.