There is a hidden yet wonderful world of pipes, transporting massive quantities of gas and liquid right around the world every day of the year. We never think about these hard-working pipe networks taking our wastewater away or delivering our gas, but they are there night and day, quietly serving us.
To function properly and efficiently, a pipe needs to contain a method for regulating the amount of liquid or gas travelling through it, as well as a method for stopping the flow entirely. Without this, there could be quite disastrous consequences!
The method used for achieving this is the humble valve. A valve acts like a switch that can either restrict flow, stop it completely or increase its pressure. Find out more about Industrial Valves at a site like Orseal.
Valves can block a pipe completely or partly and a good everyday example would be the taps in your home. When the tap turns on, a valve releases pressured water from a pipe. As well as water, gases can be regulated by valves. When you turn your gas stove on, you are turning a valve that releases the gas. Turning up the heat allows the valve to release more gas to make a bigger flame. In fact, any machine or appliance that has gas or liquid inside will contain valves.
Indeed, valves are not just found in appliances or machines, we even have some useful ones inside the human body. Valves in our hearts act to pump blood around the body and into the lungs to collect oxygen.
