Air valves are a hydromechanical mechanism that makes a critical part of water supply networks. Be it a sewage main or a water distribution line, you need to ensure that air valves are present and functioning for the automatic and effective release of air and water waste gases. But if you are unsure about what air valves are, their functions and where they are normally used, this post is for you. Here, we address these questions and give you a detailed insight into air valves.

 

What Are Air Valves?

Air valves make a hydromechanical system that is constructed to automatically release or admit wastewater gases and air in a liquid piping system. Moreover, air valves are designed to allow the inflow of air during the draining and filling operations of the water supply network. Hence, air valves ensure the safe and efficient operations of the liquid piping system, ensuring the continual removal of air and other wastewater gases from the piping system.

Different Types of Air Valves

There are several different types of air valves that are installed in a liquid piping system for different purposes. Some of the common types of air valves include the following.

 

Air and Vacuum Valves

The air and vacuum values are designed to discharge high pressure and large quantities of air from non-pressurised pipes. Air and vacuum values are designed for use mainly when filling a line. The design and construction of this type of air valve ensure that one can admit large quantities of air when there is low pressure in the lines due to drainage. Air and vacuum values are also called low-pressure air valves, air relief valves, kinetic valves, vacuum breakers, and large orifice air valves.

 

Automatic Air Release Valves

The other type of air valve, which is known as the automatic air release valve, allows the release of relatively smaller quantities of air from a highly pressurised liquid piping system. These types of air valves are also called pressure air valves or small orifice air valves.

 

Combination Air Valves

As the name states, Combination Air Valves are essentially a combination of the first two types of air valves. They are designed to release or intake large volumes of air during various liquid piping operations, such as emptying a system or filling it. Moreover, combination air valves are also designed to continuously release small volumes of air when the line is pressurised. 

This type of air valve is also called double-acting or double orifice air valve.

 

Where Are Air Valves Used?

Now that you know what air valves are and some of the types of air valves, let's take a closer look at where and when air valves are normally used.

• On the mains to and from the pump to ensure adequate release and intake of the air,
• On long constant pipeline segments, especially on a sloped pipeline,
• Along the sections of the pipeline, especially on slopes at a distance of every 500 meters,
• When there is a reduction or significant increase in the pressure inside the pipe or when there is a change in the diameter of the piping system.

Vent-O-Mat Australiais a leading manufacturer and supplier of air valves for various liquid piping industries.Get in touch with us today and find out more about what we do and how.