Swing check valves

A swing check valve consists of a flap or disc of the same diameter as the pipe bore, which hangs down in the flow path. With flow in the forwards direction, the pressure of the fluid forces the disc to hinge upwards, allowing flow through the valve. Reverse flow will cause the disc to shut against the seat and stop the fluid going back down the pipe. In the absence of flow, the weight of the flap is responsible for the closure of the valve; however, in some cases, closure may be assisted by the use of a weighted lever. As can be seen from Figure 12.3.2, the whole mechanism is enclosed within a body, which allows the flap to retract out of the flow path.

Swing check valves produce relatively high resistance to flow in the open position, due to the weight of the disc. In addition, they create turbulence, because the flap 'floats' on the fluid stream. This means that there is typically a larger pressure drop across a swing check valve than across other types.

With abrupt changes in flow, the disc can slam against the valve seat, which can cause significant wear of the seat, and generate waterhammer along the pipe system. This can be overcome by fitting a damping mechanism to the disc and by using metal seats to limit the amount of seat wear.