Certified Irrigation Designer Practice Exam 2026 - Free Irrigation Design Practice Questions and Study Guide

Diverting flow among three ports is the function of a three-way valve. This valve has three ports and a moving element that can connect the inlet to one of two outlets (or two inlets to one outlet), allowing selective routing of water within a system. That capability is what distinguishes it from two-port valves used for simple on/off or throttling control.

Two-port valves like angle or globe valves mainly control flow in a single path and aren’t designed to direct water to multiple branches. A hydrometer is a measuring instrument, not a valve, and a check valve only allows flow in one direction to prevent backflow. So the term that best fits a valve capable of diverting flow among three ports is three-way.