Rising Stem Gate Valve — Grooved
OS&Y rising stem · Victaulic grooved ends · Visual open indication · EPDM resilient wedge · DN50–DN300
Rising Stem Gate Valve —
Grooved End (OS&Y), DN50–DN300
The CA-FIRE rising stem gate valve with grooved ends brings together the best of two worlds: the clear visual open/closed indication of an OS&Y (Outside Screw & Yoke) rising stem design, and the fast tool-free installation of Victaulic-compatible roll-grooved end connections. When the valve is fully open, the stem extends visibly above the yoke — no dial indicator, no guesswork. When closed, the stem retracts flush. Available in DN50–DN300 (2"–12") with ANSI/AWWA C606 grooved ends, resilient rubber-encapsulated wedge, and full-bore flow path. NFPA 13 indicating valve compliant.
What Is a Rising Stem Gate Valve — and How Does the Grooved Version Differ?
A rising stem gate valve — also called an OS&Y gate valve (Outside Screw and Yoke) — is a gate valve where the operating stem is threaded on the outside of the valve body. As the handwheel is turned to open, the stem rises upward through the yoke, extending visibly above the handwheel. When the valve is fully closed, the stem retracts back down. This rising motion gives an immediate, unambiguous visual indication of valve position without any indicator mechanism — the stem position tells you everything.
The conventional OS&Y gate valve uses flanged ends, requiring bolted flange connections and careful alignment. The grooved-end rising stem gate valve replaces the flanged ends with roll-grooved connections to ANSI/AWWA C606 — the same groove standard used by Victaulic and all major grooved coupling manufacturers. The valve body can be dropped into any gap in grooved pipework, rotated to position the handwheel optimally, and locked in place in under a minute per end.
Rising Stem Position Indication — Open vs. Closed
→ Valve is fully open
→ Valve is fully closed
The rising stem provides unambiguous visual position confirmation without any dial or indicator mechanism — fully compliant with NFPA 13 indicating valve requirements.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Valve Type | Rising Stem Gate Valve (OS&Y) — Grooved End |
| Nominal Pressure | 1.6 MPa (PN16) |
| Nominal Diameter | DN50 – DN300 (2" – 12") |
| Strength Test Pressure | 6.4 MPa |
| Seal Test Pressure | 3.2 MPa |
| Body Material | Ductile iron — fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coated |
| Wedge | Ductile iron core, fully encapsulated in vulcanised EPDM rubber |
| Stem | Rising — stainless steel, Outside Screw & Yoke (OS&Y) |
| Stem Seal | EPDM O-ring packing — replaceable under pressure |
| Position Indication | Visual rising stem — stem protrudes when fully open |
| End Connection | Roll-grooved — ANSI/AWWA C606 (Victaulic-style compatible) |
| Flow Pattern | Full-bore — unobstructed when fully open |
| Applicable Medium | Water, foam fire suppression mixture |
| Medium Temperature | -20 – 70 °C |
| Certifications | ISO 9001, CE, NFPA 13 indicating valve |
Size & Face-to-Face Dimensions
| DN | Inch | Face-to-Face (mm) | Groove OD (mm) | Stem Travel (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DN50 | 2" | 143 | 60.3 | 28 |
| DN65 | 2½" | 165 | 73.0 | 35 |
| DN80 | 3" | 178 | 88.9 | 38 |
| DN100 | 4" | 190 | 114.3 | 50 |
| DN125 | 5" | 216 | 141.3 | 60 |
| DN150 | 6" | 216 | 168.3 | 72 |
| DN200 | 8" | 241 | 219.1 | 95 |
| DN250 | 10" | 292 | 273.1 | 118 |
| DN300 | 12" | 330 | 323.9 | 140 |
Grooved Installation — 4 Steps, No Welding
The roll-grooved ends to ANSI/AWWA C606 allow the rising stem gate valve to be installed in any grooved fire protection piping system without welding, flange drilling or special tools. Installation takes under two minutes per valve.
Key Features
Fire Protection Applications
Fire Sprinkler Systems — Grooved Riser & Branch Main Isolation
The primary application: zone isolation valves on grooved fire sprinkler risers and branch mains in commercial, industrial and high-rise residential buildings. The rising stem gives maintenance teams an immediate visual confirmation that each zone valve is fully open during regular inspection rounds — faster and more reliable than checking a dial indicator on a non-rising stem valve.
Fast-Build & Modular Construction — Grooved System Preference
In fast-build projects where grooved pipework is specified throughout — hospitals, data centres, hotels and logistics facilities — the grooved rising stem gate valve allows fire protection isolation points to be added at any stage of construction without hot-work permits. The no-weld installation is particularly valuable on occupied sites where fire risk from welding is a concern.
System Retrofit — Adding Indicating Valves to Grooved Systems
When an existing grooved fire protection system needs additional isolation points or when non-indicating valves need to be replaced with NFPA 13-compliant indicating valves, the grooved rising stem gate valve can be inserted into any grooved section of pipe by cutting to length and installing two couplings — no threading, no flanges.
Standpipe Systems — Grooved Zone Control
Used as zone isolation valves on grooved standpipe risers in buildings where the standpipe system uses grooved pipework. The rising stem's visual indication is valued in standpipe systems where the valve must be confirmed open before a fire brigade connection is made to the outlet.
Grooved Rising Stem vs. Other Gate Valve Configurations
| Feature | Rising Stem Grooved (This product) |
Rising Stem Flanged (OS&Y) | NRS Grooved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stem type | ✅ Rising — visual indication | ✅ Rising — visual indication | Non-rising — dial indicator |
| End connection | ✅ Grooved — no welding | Flanged — bolted | ✅ Grooved — no welding |
| Overhead clearance needed | ⚠ Yes — for rising stem travel | ⚠ Yes — for rising stem travel | ✅ None — stem stays in body |
| Installation speed | ✅ Fast — coupling in minutes | Slower — flange bolt-up | ✅ Fast — coupling in minutes |
| Size range | DN50–DN300 | DN50–DN400 | DN50–DN300 |
| Best for | ✅ Grooved systems + visual indication required | Flanged systems + visual indication | Grooved systems + tight overhead clearance |
Frequently Asked Questions — Rising Stem Gate Valve Grooved
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Q1 What is a rising stem gate valve with grooved ends?A rising stem gate valve with grooved ends — also called a grooved OS&Y gate valve — combines a rising stem (outside screw and yoke) gate valve with roll-grooved end connections compatible with Victaulic-style mechanical couplings. When the valve opens, the stem rises above the handwheel yoke, providing a clear visual indication that the valve is fully open. The grooved ends allow the valve to be installed quickly without welding or flange bolting — ideal for fire sprinkler systems built with grooved piping.
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Q2 What is the difference between a grooved rising stem and a grooved NRS gate valve?A rising stem (OS&Y) gate valve has a stem that extends upward through the yoke when the valve is open — providing clear visual confirmation of the open position simply by looking at the protruding stem. A non-rising stem (NRS) gate valve has a stem that rotates in place without extending — the valve uses a dial indicator to show position. The rising stem design is preferred where overhead clearance is available and where a mechanic needs to quickly confirm valve position at a glance. The NRS grooved valve is preferred in confined spaces with restricted overhead clearance.
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Q3 Is a grooved OS&Y gate valve NFPA 13 compliant?Yes. A grooved rising stem (OS&Y) gate valve is an indicating-type control valve — the exposed rising stem provides unambiguous visual indication of valve position — and is fully compliant with NFPA 13 requirements for fire protection control valves. To satisfy NFPA 13 supervision requirements, the valve must be either locked open or electronically supervised by a tamper switch. The rising stem itself serves as the position indicator; no additional indicator mechanism is required.
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Q4 Can a rising stem gate valve be installed in any orientation with grooved ends?A rising stem gate valve should be installed with the stem pointing upward or horizontally — not with the stem pointing downward, as this allows debris to accumulate on the exposed stem threads and can cause stem seal wear over time. Grooved end connections allow the valve body to be freely rotated before the Victaulic coupling is tightened, making it easy to orient the handwheel and stem in the correct direction even in cramped plant rooms without modifying the pipework layout.
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Q5 What sizes does the CA-FIRE grooved rising stem gate valve come in?The CA-FIRE grooved rising stem gate valve is available in DN50–DN300 (2 inch to 12 inch) with roll-grooved ends to ANSI/AWWA C606, compatible with Victaulic-style and equivalent grooved mechanical couplings. For larger sizes (DN350–DN400) or flanged end connections, see our OS&Y gate valve — rising stem flanged.