Never Get Stuck in the Mud with a Tideflex® Check Valve
In a town located in Somerset County, England, stormwater discharges into the tidal section of the Parrett River were repeatedly obstructed due to mud and silt accumulating in metal flapgate valves. This buildup caused frequent valve malfunctions, resulting in persistent backflow issues.
The town and surrounding areas have a history of flooding due to the overflow of existing combined sewer systems, especially in heavy rainfall events. The area east of the river has a high probability of fluvial and tidal flooding. Substantial work has been done to remedy this situation, including the construction of several stormwater tanks, the largest of which is connected to a Pumping Station.
Despite dredging and de-silting work carried out on the river, the volume of mud and silt continues to be an issue for outfalls on its banks. In fact, the two outfalls in this project required significant effort to be cleared of mud before work could begin on replacing the non-functioning flap gate valves.
The local water authority decided that a Tideflex® TF-1 Duckbill Check Valve would provide the longest-lasting, maintenance-free solution to the problem, based on the valve’s proven track record of being free-draining and self-clearing. No other check valve has matched the Tideflex® TF-1 Check Valve’s proven ability to consistently and reliably function, even when covered in significant amounts of mud and other debris. In an area prone to flooding, it is extremely important that every part of the drainage system functions as intended.
A 40” & 48” (1000mm & 1200mm) Tideflex® TF-1 Duckbill Check Valve was clamped to thimble plates bolted on concrete headwalls on the banks of the Parrett River. The TF-1’s special elastomer construction proved to be an excellent choice for this outfall application. The Tideflex® Duckbill Check Valves continuously clear themselves passively, even when buried in tightly packed mud and silt. Because they operate on differential pressure (forward flow opens the valve and reverse flow/backpressure seals the valve) Tideflex® Check Valves require no external energy. These valves will provide the water authority a long service life with virtually no maintenance.
There are thousands of Tideflex® Duckbill Check Valves installed around the world, many that have been in service since 1984 and thousands of marine installations that have been in service for over 25 years. Tideflex® Duckbill Check Valves will never corrode in salt water, will not freeze in winter and will not stick open or shut like a flap gate.
Click here to see the Tideflex® TF-1 Duckbill Check Valve in action.
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Contact us to learn more about how a Tideflex® Check Valve can help your operation.