The underlying mechanisms of the everyday objects in our lives might not be that simple. While it is easy to operate the faucets, it is the small stop valve inside it that controls the flow and pressure of water in the faucet.

For somebody who doesn’t know what is going inside a faucet, all faucets look the same. This is not surprising as whichever faucet you turn, water comes out. But those who really know about them will understand the major variations in the design and working each of them. Even though it is not necessary to know every minute detail, it is still helpful if you know at least the basic differences between them. Read this article to find out more about angle stop valves. Knowing about it will help you make the right choices when you are shopping.

Types of angle valves

Bathroom faucets come in a lot of different shapes, styles and sizes. There are wall-mounted faucets, single hole faucets, vessel faucets, centre-set faucets, and whatnot. But regardless of the type of faucets you use, it is the angle valve that is responsible for controlling the flow of water. While there aren’t as many different types of angle stop valves as there are faucets, there are still a few of them. This article will tell you about the major physical differences and the differences in the working of four common types of angle valves. You will also find some helpful tips in this article that you can use while buying a replacement valve for your faucet.

Compression valves

Compression valves are the oldest type of angle valves that are still in use. Because of this, the technology behind this valve has been tried and tested for over a century. This is also a great option if you are looking for an inexpensive and simple valve that works effectively. A compression valve has two main components. One of them is a screw that raises and lowers a screw stem. One end of this screw stem will have a rubber tip to seal off the opening of the water pipe to stop the water from flowing. This mechanism makes it possible to open the valve by turning the lever counterclockwise.

Copper sweat stop valves

“Sweat” is just another term for soldering, usually used by plumbers. This term refers to the ways that plumbers install this type of valve to the water pipe. The usual methods of installation of copper stop valves involve soldering to the main pipe. Because of this, copper stop valves only work with copper pipes. This involves tools for soldering, including a torch, flux, emery cloth, and solder. Sweat valves are not easy to remove after installation. They have to be heated to melt the solder so that you can take the valve off the shaft.

Iron pipe stop valves

You will find this type of valve is on galvanized or brass-threaded pipes. It uses a thread size that is compatible with the typical iron pipes. Iron pipe stop valves will have a female portion of this thread. So, you can connect this directly to pipes using a male iron pipe adapter. Because of the screwable threads, the connection is easy to undo as well. You only have to simply screw and unscrew the iron pipe valves from the end of the tube. All you will need is two pliers to do this. One of them to hold the pipe in place and the other to turn the pipe.

Ball valves

As you can probably tell from the name, the main part of a ball valve is a ball that contains a network of holes and grooves. If you want to turn on the valve, you will have to align these holes such that the whole network is complete. Some of these valves will have two separate inlets for hot and cold water. The benefit of this type of valve is that it is easy to operate single-handedly. Also, it is possible to combine two different water inlets with a single lever. However, the downside of this valve is that because of the presence of complex mechanisms, the longevity of the valve is less.

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