Plastic Valves

Large or small, plastic valves can regulate the flow of liquids
By Denise Brown Industrial plastic valves have many uses in industry. If you have two pipes through which you need to regulate the flow of liquids, then you're sure to find a plastic valve application precisely right for your application.

While the most common plastic valves are a plastic ball valve or a plastic check valve, you may find a need for an all-plastic air purge valve, a plastic relief valve with a plastic sight flow indicator, or any number of other specialty industrial plastic valves. From miniature plastic valves and small PVC valves to huge flow control plastic valves, a plastic valves manufacturer can produce exactly the fittings you need.

Before you buy plastic valve, you know what you expect the plastic valve to do. Plastic valves serve a variety of functions based on their type:

1. Find a plastic ball valve to start and stop the flow of liquid.

2. Use a plastic check valve to keep the liquid flowing in one direction and to prevent backflow.

3. Choose a pressure-regulating valve to maintain pressure in your pipes.

Use a plastic ball valve if the liquid in the pipes is clear

Control the flow of liquids through pipes with a plastic ball valve. Look for plastic ball valves that turn easily. Some can even be set to turn by machine actuators rather than by hand. However, if the pipes carry anything with sediment, the ball valve may clog and not operate properly.
Try:  Hayward Flow Control Systems offers a wide range of plastic ball valves. The Specialty Mfg. Co. also has a large selections of plastic valves you can custom fit to your pipes.

Keep the liquid going in the right direction with a plastic check valve

There are two basic models of plastic check valve. One utilizes a ball to stop backflow; the other uses a Y-design.
Try:  At Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc., you can find exactly the right check valve for your pipes. Simtech also carries a large inventory of check valves.

Use one of the many specialty plastic valves for your piping system

Butterfly plastic valves can fit into a tighter area than other types of plastic valves. "Slo-close" valves act as ball valves, but eliminate the "water hammer" effect by closing slowly. T-valves and Y-valves allow you to configure pipes exactly the way you want them and still be able to regulate the flow of liquid.
Try:  Thermoplastic Valves, Inc. is a good place to look for butterfly valves. Colonial Engineering, Inc. offers “Slo-Close” valves. George Fischer Piping Systems has a large selection of T-valves and Y-valves to choose from.

• If you run hot liquids through your pipes, remember to order plastic valves made for hot liquids. Without heat-resistant O-rings and connectors, a regular plastic valve can fail in a short period of time.