Check Valve

A check valve is a valve used in plumbing and commonly used in conjunction with pumps to allow a solution to flow in one direction only.

The check valve can be used as a one way valve to make sure the water only heads in one direction and as a non-return valve to prevent water from moving back to its original point.

A check valve is a simple device and used in most pumps systems to prevent pump damage and to ensure optimum efficiency.

Examples of why you would use a check valve are:

• Used on the outlet side of the pump to protect the pump from backflow
• Pumps which are not self priming require a check valve to keep water in the pipes to maintain their prime
• To maintain head pressure to the pump

Foot valves are another type of check valve commonly used to prime a single centrifugal pump. For instance a 2 HP high flow 2DK20 centrifugal single impeller pump located beside a dam and pumping up to a water tank or to a channel will require a foot valve installed at the bottom of the pump suction line to prevent the backward flow of water through the pipe, therefore maintaining the pumps prime.