Ballcock

A float valve or fill valve is controlled by a float valve: If a certain water level reached, the valve opens, when it reaches the desired level, it closes again.

Area of ​​application

Float valves are used to ensure a certain level of a liquid in a container. The most prominent example is the cistern of a toilet. They are also used in diesel-electric submarines (for example, in the German U- Boat Class XXI of the Second World War) for the snorkel system to prevent water from entering the air intake.

Operation

The lever attached to a float drops with the liquid level. The lever is coupled to the shut-off body is removed from the valve seat, thus opening the valve. Rising liquid level on the other hand ensures that the shut-off is pressed against the valve seat and the valve is thus closed.

Other versions

For the filling valve used in the cistern of a toilet is usually not used the simple form of the float valve, but an integrated version of the pilot and main valve, since the length of the lever to which the float is attached, can be significantly shortened. Via the lever to the float, the pilot valve ( with respect to the main valve much smaller in diameter) closed. Wherein the increasing pressure in the pilot valve chamber pushes the positively-driven shut-off of the main valve in the closed position.