Posted Jul 05, 2025

Duckbill Valve: A Solution for Modern Drainage Systems

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The rapid development of cities has led to dense populations and frequent industrial activities. The efficient operation of drainage systems is crucial for ensuring the normal functioning of cities. However, traditional drainage valves have several issues, such as being prone to blockages, having high maintenance costs, and poor sealing performance. These problems not only affect the normal operation of the drainage system but also increase the difficulty and cost of maintenance. Now, the duckbill valve, as a new type of valve, is gradually becoming an important component of drainage systems and wastewater treatment facilities due to its unique design and excellent performance. It has no complex mechanical parts, is unlikely to malfunction, has very good sealing performance, and can effectively prevent the backflow of wastewater and the emission of odors. More importantly, the duckbill valve requires almost no maintenance, is easy to install, and is particularly suitable for use in various complex environments.

Structure and Materials of Duckbill Valves

The duckbill valve, also known as a rubber sewage check valve, is a valve without any moving components. It is made of elastic chloroprene rubber with artificial fibers through special processing and is named for its shape, which resembles a duck's bill. This unique structure allows the duckbill valve to close at the outlet under its own elasticity when there is no internal pressure; as the internal pressure gradually increases, the outlet gradually expands, thereby maintaining the smooth discharge of liquid at high flow rates.

The main materials used in the manufacture of duckbill valves include chloroprene rubber, Hyplon, nitrile rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber. These materials have good elasticity and corrosion resistance, which can meet the needs of different industrial environments. The valve body is designed with full rubber, which not only avoids the occurrence of sedimentation and jamming but also reduces maintenance costs and allows solid particles to pass through smoothly.

Installation and Maintenance of Duckbill Valves

The installation of duckbill valves is extremely convenient. Its rubber flange is integrated with the valve body and has a lined metal flange, which can be naturally connected with a metal flange and can be directly installed on tanks, pipes, and dikes. When connecting, attention should be paid to the corresponding dimensions of the flange and the connecting flange, and waterproof glue should be added according to the specific situation to ensure the tightness after connection. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid damaging the flange lip of the rubber sewage check valve.

Since the duckbill valve has no moving or mechanical parts and does not require electrical signals or manual operation, it requires no maintenance and is noiseless during use. This maintenance-free feature allows it to save a large amount of manpower and material costs in long-term use.

Working Principle of Duckbill Valves

The working principle of the duckbill valve is simple and efficient. When liquid passes through the valve, the valve opens; as the flow or pressure increases, the opening of the duckbill valve also increases; when the water flow stops, the backwater pressure or atmospheric pressure will press the duckbill valve tightly to prevent the backflow of liquid or odors. The pressure required to open the duckbill valve is very low, and it can open the valve when the positive and negative water level difference is 250 Pa. This low-opening pressure design allows the duckbill valve to maintain good sealing and discharge performance under various working conditions.

Features and Advantages of Duckbill Valves

The duckbill valve stands out among many valves with its unique design and excellent performance, showing significant features and advantages.

1. Good Sealing Performance

The duckbill valve has excellent sealing performance and can effectively prevent the backflow of liquid or odors. Its 99.9% full rubber structure can choose different rubber materials according to actual needs to meet various anti-corrosion requirements. This structure not only ensures the flexibility of the valve but also greatly reduces hydraulic losses, achieving a good combination of discharge and pressure resistance.

2. Maintenance-Free

The duckbill valve has no moving components and therefore requires no maintenance. This maintenance-free feature allows it to save a large amount of manpower and material costs in long-term use, especially suitable for occasions where regular maintenance is difficult.

3. Strong Adaptability

The duckbill valve can be used with straight pipes, flanged pipes, cement pipes, and fiberglass pipes, and is widely used in coastal areas, beaches, docks, reservoirs, municipal flood discharge, sewage discharge, and other fields. It can adapt to various complex working conditions and solve the problems of blockage by sand, stones, vegetation, marine organisms, etc., and is a very reliable green valve.

4. Good Environmental Performance

The duckbill valve is an environmentally friendly green valve. Its full rubber structure will not pollute the environment. At the same time, it can effectively prevent floods and sewage from backflowing into street sewers and basements, avoid major losses, prevent floods from backflowing into sewage treatment plants and drainage pump stations when the water level rises, stop the spread of odors from sewage or odorous fluids, and can drain water at any time.

5. Long Service Life

The duckbill valve has a long service life. If the appropriate rubber raw materials are used, its service life can even exceed that of metal check valves. Its convenient installation, flexible and diverse installation methods, and repairability further extend its service life.

Application Fields of Duckbill Valves

The duckbill valve, with its unique structure and outstanding performance, has been widely used in various fields, demonstrating strong adaptability and practicality.

1. Municipal Drainage Systems

The duckbill valve is widely used in municipal drainage systems to prevent floods and sewage from backflowing into street sewers and basements, avoiding major losses. In the rainy season, it can prevent urban river floods from flowing into the streets through sewers and ensure the normal operation of cities.

2. Sewage Treatment Plants

In sewage treatment plants, the duckbill valve is used to prevent floods from backflowing into sewage treatment plants when the water level rises, stop the spread of odors from sewage or odorous fluids, and can drain water at any time. Its good sealing performance and maintenance-free features make it an ideal choice for sewage treatment plants.

3. Coasts, Beaches, and Docks

The application of duckbill valves in coasts, beaches, and docks solves the problems of blockage by sand, stones, vegetation, and marine organisms. It can effectively prevent the invasion of seawater and sand, which is conducive to the flushing of discharge pipes and is a very reliable green valve.

4. Reservoirs

In reservoirs, the duckbill valve is used for municipal flood discharge and sewage discharge to prevent floods from backflowing and ensure the safe operation of reservoirs. Its good sealing performance and pressure resistance enable it to operate stably in the complex working conditions of reservoirs for a long time.

5. Industrial Discharge Systems

The duckbill valve is widely used in industrial discharge systems, such as pump stations, wet wells aeration and mixing, rainwater discharge, CSO/SSO systems, retention ponds, site drainage, flood prevention systems, float control, static water pressure release, airports, and highway applications. Its full rubber structure can resist abrasive slurry, and its special design and materials can prevent backflow, ultra-quiet operation, no water hammer, and is an ideal industrial discharge valve.

Installation Forms of Duckbill Valves

The duckbill valve can be installed in various forms according to different working conditions and customer needs. Common installation forms include slip-on, inlaid, built-in, flanged, plate-mounted, mortar or cement pipeline, etc. These installation forms enable the duckbill valve to adapt to various complex working conditions and meet the needs of different customers.

Precautions for the Use of Duckbill Valves

Although the duckbill valve has many advantages, some precautions should be taken during use. For example, if the duckbill valve is placed outdoors for a long time, it is easy to be damaged. It is not resistant to high temperatures and can accelerate aging. Outdoor sunlight and ozone can reduce the service life of the product. If workers handle it improperly during transportation or installation, surface damage can occur. Therefore, end-users should avoid bumps, scratches from sharp objects, proximity to heat sources, and high temperatures during use and storage. Regular checks should also be carried out when using it outdoors.

Conclusion

As a new type of green valve, the duckbill valve is gradually changing the status quo of traditional drainage valves with its unique structure, excellent performance, and wide range of applications. Its maintenance-free, good sealing performance, strong adaptability, good environmental performance, and long service life make it increasingly widely used in municipal drainage systems, sewage treatment plants, coasts, beaches, docks, reservoirs, industrial discharge systems, and other fields.

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Isaac
Isaac