Foot valves are designed for use in clean water systems. They should not be used in sewage media or any media with suspended solids. The foot valve is in essence, a type of check valve- which consists of a cylindrical body, an inside sealing disc, that slides up and down on an internal shaft, and a cover plate which forms the seating surface of the disc.

Foot valves are positioned at the end (or foot) of a vertical suction pipeline (inlet side of the pump) and serves two main functions. Firstly, the strainer side of foot valve prevents any kind of debris typically above 8 mm particle size from the water source from entering into the clean water pipe line. Secondly, the foot valve is used to prevent the reverse flow of water back to the source when the pump stops and equally important, it ensures that the pump remains primed (filled with water). Without a foot valve at the bottom of a vertical suction pipe, when the pump stops the water from the pump would simply return to the source, and the pump cavity would be empty.

By installing a foot valve, when the pump operates, the flow of water starts to move for the source, up through the strainer basket and into the foot valve chamber. This flow then lifts the disc inside the foot valve and allows the flow to continue up through the suction pipe and into the pump chamber – then out through the discharge pipeline.

When the pump slows to the stop position, the disc inside the foot valve closes quickly under a combination of gravity and the force of the water above when the pump stops, thus preventing water returning to the source and ensuring that water remains in the suction pipeline between the source and the pump, so the pump remains primed ready for its next cycle.

It is installed at the beginning of a VERTICAL inlet (suction) pipe.

There is minimal maintenance for these valves if they are installed in clean water pipe-line. If valve has to be uninstalled, it is recommended to check disc sealing ring (rubber ring), o-rings and change if necessary. Cleaning inside of the valve and the external basket is also advised.