Foot Control Valve

Quick Answer: The Foot Control Valve is a floor-level valve with a pedal that opens a water supply while it is pressed and closes it when the foot is lifted, so a laboratory sink can be used with both hands free and without touching a tap.

A Pedal in Place of a Tap Handle

A foot control valve is installed in the supply pipe below the sink, with its pedal near the floor where the user stands. Pressing the pedal opens the valve and water flows from the outlet above the sink; lifting the foot lets a spring close it again. This self-closing action means the water cannot be left running, and both hands stay free, which is the main reason labs choose foot operation over an elbow lever.

The valve controls the water but does not deliver it. It is paired with an outlet such as a Basin Spout above the sink, connected to the valve by pipe. One valve handles one supply; where hot and cold must be blended by foot, the Foot Operated Mixer is the listed alternative.

Placement decides how well it works. The pedal needs to be where the foot naturally falls when standing at the sink, clear of the cabinet’s toe space, and the supply pipe must be routed down to it. Because self-closing valves can shut quickly, some installations knock in the pipes when the pedal is released; a plumber can fit a shock arrester if this happens.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Keep the floor around the pedal dry and uncluttered; a wet floor at a pedal is a slip hazard.
• Check that the pedal springs back fully and the flow stops at once, because a sticking pedal wastes water.
• Sweep debris from under and around the pedal, which can stop it returning.
• Ask a plumber to fit a shock arrester if the pipes knock when the pedal is released.

Applications

• Handwash sinks in microbiology and pathology labs where hands must not touch fittings.
• Rinsing apparatus that needs both hands, such as large flasks or trays.
• Scrub-style basins in veterinary, nursing and medical training labs.
• Sinks where saving water matters, since the valve cannot be left running.

Why Choose LabEquip

Labs designing hands-free handwash stations, and training centres that teach aseptic handwashing, are the usual buyers of a pedal valve. LabEquip lists it in General Lab Products; a sketch of the sink and cabinet sent through the contact page helps confirm the fixing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a foot control valve work?

Pressing the pedal opens a valve in the water line and water flows from the outlet above the sink. When the foot is lifted, a spring closes the valve, so the flow stops by itself.

Is a foot valve better than an elbow tap?

It keeps both hands completely free and cannot be left running, which suits scrub-style washing and rinsing large items. An elbow tap is simpler to install because it needs no pipe run down to floor level.

Does the foot control valve include a spout?

It controls the water but does not deliver it, so an outlet such as a basin spout is fitted above the sink and piped from the valve. Check the order if a spout is wanted as well.

Can one pedal give warm water?

A single valve controls one supply, so it gives whatever temperature that line carries. For blended hot and cold by foot, a foot operated mixer or a pre-set mixing valve upstream is needed.

Why do the pipes bang when the pedal is released?

Quick-closing valves stop the water suddenly, and the pressure surge makes the pipes knock. A shock arrester near the valve, or firmer pipe clipping, usually cures it.

Where should the pedal be placed?

Where the foot naturally rests when standing at the sink, usually just in front of or below the cabinet, clear of the toe space. Try the position before fixing it.

Last Updated: September 2026