If there is one piece of the brass instrument that gets no respect, but deserves much, it is the water key. Yes, the water key is not called the spit valve. That slang name for it demeans what it does and also how the brass player plays their instrument.
The water key is a relatively simple mechanism, usually similar to the closed pads on a woodwind instrument. The air passes over the hole, but with the spring holding the "pad" closed, it passes by with little disturbance. If it is open (leaking) some of the air will divert out through this opening instead of the bell, making the tone and ease of playing the instrument greatly diminished. This happens because the pad is not covering the hole, or the spring no longer has the tension to keep the pad closed.
Often the pad material is cork or some sort of synthetic rubber, and both work about the same. The cork ones deteriorate quicker, being a natural material, but the synthetic will deform more permanently, making a seal somewhat harder to get until it settles.
The purpose of the water key is to vent the water that collects inside the bore of the instrument. WATER, not spit. The liquid that collects is water. It comes from the humidity inside the breath meeting the colder surface of the metal. It's the same thing as the drops of water on the outside of a cold beverage. When it collects in sufficient quantities, it starts to interrupt the airflow through the instrument. Due to the nature of water, it creates a gurgling affect to the sound, sometimes even a popping noise. Water keys need to be emptied regularly, the frequency is dependent on how "wet a blower" the player is. It is also dependent on how cold the room is the player is in.
In the past decade or so, there have been a few innovations to how water keys work. One of these is a different style called an "Amado" water key, named after the company that started them. They are somewhat harder to explain, as they are a sideways piston that closes the with the side of a piston. I recommend looking them up to see how they sit on the horn. They have no cork or rubber, and are fairly durable. Their primary reason for creation was the idea that the area under the pad is a soldered on piece called a nipple. It acts like the tone hole of a woodwind to give the cork or rubber pad a flat surface to seal. The hole under the nipple is usually smaller than the hole the cork covers, and the theory is that it causes air flow turbulence in this gap, which distorts the sound. While this may be true, the amount of difference these water keys make compared to the traditional water keys is so minimal, if at all, that you would need a spectrum analyzer to truly find a difference. I personally feel that the amount of solder used to hold the bell braces to the bell will have a greater affect on the tone, as that actually will change how well the bell vibrates.
There are other types of water keys, and many others that existed for a short time that didn't work out. Overall, the reason to use one type over another is personal preference. It comes down to which helps you to do the water key's primary job the best. This question is simply, "How well does it help me drain the water from my horn?" If it works for you, it works fine. Any other questions about it are side notes, and if they don't need to change, it won't necessarily help you if you do.
That being said, if you do decide to put on a different type of water key, my only advice is to do it well before any performances. We all have muscle memory about how our instruments work, and if you reach for your water key during a few rest measures at a gig, you need to make sure you have the way your water keys work pre-programed into your hands so you can do it without fumbling. This way you can empty and get back to playing with as little stress or difficulty as possible.
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