FAQ

Ball valves are an excellent choice for shutoff and control applications. They are durable, perform well after many cycles, are dependable and close securely even after long periods of disuse.

Ball valves are commonly a form of flow control, where a hollow or punctured ball pivots to open or close flow of a fluid or gases, therefore they are extremely versatile and can be used in thousands of industrial and commercial applications. Some example applications include:

Chlorine manufacturing or other gas processing applications
High pressure applications for air or water
Flowing systems on ships
Fire-safe lines for controlling water for fire suppression

Ball and gate valves essentially perform the same function. However, their physical qualities are significantly different. Ball valves have a stem and ball, which turns horizontally, and are commonly referred to as “rotational” valves. They are best suited to applications that require on/off control without pressure drop.

Gate valves open by lifting a round or rectangular gate out of the path of the liquid. The sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are straight, so gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow of fluid and minimum constraint is needed.

It depends on the application. A ball valve is better suited for smaller flow rates, anything requiring more than 2 ports, or for durability/sealing concerns. A gate valve is typically cheaper, better for higher flow rates, and requires a smaller installation space.

The main difference is in the operation. A gate valve moves a solid disk up and down to open/close the orifice. A ball valve rotates a ball (the orifice) with a bore in it 90 degrees to open/close the valve.

A gate valve is ideal for applications that have slurries, large flow rates, cost sensitive, and for shut off purposes.

A ball valve is open when the handle is in-line with the pipe and closed when the valve is perpendicular to the pipe. They only need to be rotated 90 degrees.

A ball valve is a shutoff valve that controls the flow of a liquid or gas by means of a rotary ball having a bore. They can be operated by a handle or automated with an electric or pneumatic actuator.

Screw on the input and output of the ball valve into your threaded assembly. Ensure the handle is installed correctly (parallel is open) before installation.

Yes, a ball valve can fail. Common failure types are a damaged seal (valve wont seal 100%) or debris entering the valve (valve wont move).

A ball valve can be used both as a shut-off valve and as a control valve for both liquids & gases. In the case of a control valve, the bore is usually made in a v-shape.