If you're doing a bathroom renovation or just want to understand your plumbing better, you should know how to tell which kind of shower valve you have.

Q: I had to turn off the water supply valve at the top of my water heater. So I turned it, but it kept on turning and turning without shutting off the water. A neighbor of mine said it is a gate valve ...

Ball Valves by Style Let’s start with two-way ball valves, which are used for traditional on/off control. These are the most commonly used, and lowest-cost type, of ball valve.

Honeywell zone valves are low-voltage, straight-through or diverting types, or high-voltage, straight-through or diverting. Each valve is controlled by its own thermostat.

In hydronic heating, to control where heated water goes to various sections of a building, the system might rely on two or more zone valves. A zone valve opens or closes based on demand from a ...

Geraldine has over a decade of experience writing within the home improvement sector. Additionally, she has unique first-hand renovation experience as the previous owner of a house-flipping business.

Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over seven years of experience in the home space and 10 years of editing experience. Sami Allen is the managing editor at Forbes Home, with over ...