What kind of valve is a foot valve?
check valve
A foot valve is a type of check valve that is typically installed at a pump or at the bottom of a pipe line (hence the name). Foot valves act like ball check valves, but have an open end with a shield or screen over it to block debris from entering the line.
What is a foot valve used for?
Foot valves are designed to keep the pump primed, allowing the liquid to flow in, but not out. There are screens that cover the valve opening that will become clogged after a period of time – especially when they are used to extract water from wells or in ponds.
What is the foot valve and why it is required?
The foot valve is a lift check valve which is usually installed together with suction strainers in the suction line. It prevents the suction line from running empty after the pump is stopped (also see Valve).
What is the difference between a foot valve and a check valve?
Check valves and foot valves are designed to stop water from going backwards when the pump shuts off. Check valves are normally on the discharge side of pumps, and foot valves are on the intake of pumps.
What is a foot valve made of?
Foot valves are either made of stainless steel or PVC plastic.
How long do foot valves last?
Unless you have an extreme amount on minerals , like calcium, the PVC pipe should last longer than you. It’s the galvanized connect pipes the corrode rather quickly. The foot valve will need replace ment bout every 15 years , give or take a few years.
Where is a foot valve installed?
The foot valve is required to be installed at the bottom of the well suction line piping. Similar to the check valve, the foot valve prevents water from flowing back out of the jet pump. This protects against loss of prime in the well piping system.
Can foot valve be installed horizontally?
In spring type check and foot valves a poppet is held in place using a spring. Pressure on the inlet side of the valve forces the poppet to open and the spring to contract. When that pressure subsides the spring forces the poppet back to the closed position. These can be installed both vertically and horizontally.
What happens when a foot valve fails?
If the well piping foot valve is leaky and water runs back into the well we increase the wear on the water pump as it has to run more often, and pretty soon the water pump will lose its prime (water inside the pump mechanism) and it may be unable to retrieve any more water from the well whatsoever.