What is a foot valve?
Foot valve, also called bottom valve, belongs to a type of check valve. Different from other valves, a foot valve has a larger flow area than the pipe size, which is to prevent head loss of the pipe.
It is typically installed at a pump or at the end of a pipe. Thus it normally has one end connected to the pipe. And that's why we call it foot valve. It can help pump stay primed by letting liquid in and keep the fluid from flowing backwards. The screen or basket of the foot valve stops particles from entering the pipeline.
Most foot valves are designed with a flange end connected to the pipe, a disc, seal and a screen.
Foot valves are usually made up of heavy duty cast iron and bronze, as well as PVC so that they will last longer while submerged in the water.
