Gas Valves in Household Plumbing Systems
The Essential Role of Gas Valves in Household Plumbing Systems
Plumbing valves are used as fluid (liquid, air, gas) control devices which are usually located in a piping system at points other than outlets. Without them, water and other fluids would run freely through the pipes at all times with no way to shut them off for maintenance or any other reason. One very important plumbing valve are gas valves.
Household gas valves are used to regulate the flow of gas in a home. They are similar to water valves in the fact that shut-off, check, and pressure relief valves are the most common types of gas valves in a household environment. Gas valves are used in gas stoves, furnaces, boilers, water heaters, and fireplaces. Applications include the following:
- Propane tanks
- natural gas lines
- Air vents
- Exhaust vents
- LPG (liquified petroleum gas) lines
Ball and plug valves are the two most common types of plumbing gas valves. Below is how they work and a comparison of each:
Ball
- A gas ball valve is quarter-turn and controls the flow of fluids in a piping system
- The valve has a hollow ball with a port in the center that's mounted between two seats. When the ball is rotated 90-degrees, the port opens or closes, allowing or blocking the flow of gas.
Plug:
- A gas plug valve uses a plug to control the flow of fluids in a piping system
- The valve’s plug has a hollow passage that can be rotated inside the valve body. When the valve is open, the passage aligns with the flow, allowing fluid to pass through. A 90-degree rotation closes the valve by re-aligning the plug to block the flow.
WARNING: It is unlawful in CALIFORNIA, VERMONT, MARYLAND, LOUISIANA and the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to use any product in the installation or repair of any public water system or any plumbing in a facility or system that provides water for human consumption if the wetted surface area of the product has a weighted average lead content greater than 0.25%. This prohibition does not extend to service saddles used in California, Louisiana or under USA Public Law 111-380.