Can Ball Valves Be Used As Control Valves?

If you have basic knowledge of valves, you may be familiar with ball valves - one of the most common valve types today. Ball valves are usually quarter-turn valves with a ball with a hole in the middle for flow control. These valves are known for their durability and excellent closing performance but do not always provide very precise control. Let's discuss when a ball valve can be used as a control valve.

Although ball valves are not the best device for flow control, they are still widely used due to their cost-effectiveness. You can use ball valves in applications that do not require precise adjustment and control. For example, ball valves should have no problem keeping the water level in large tanks within a few inches.

As with any device, you need to consider the entire process condition before selecting a valve. This includes products or materials, pipe size, flow rate, etc. If you want to control expensive materials that you worry about wasting, you may not want to rely on ball valves.

Cast Steel Globe Valve

Ball valves are not very accurate because they are adjusted out of proportion to the large volume of flow provided by the open eye. There is also a "tilt" or "motion" between the bar and the ball, which hampers precise control. Finally, the torque value required to adjust the ball valve does not permit fine-tuning near the "close" and "open" positions.

When you need precise control over your application, globe valves will be more precise than ball valves. Cast Steel Globe Valves are considered the industry standard for control valves because they are good at regulating flow, while ball valves are better suited for on/off control without pressure drop.

If you must use ball valves to control the process, you may want to consider using a different type of ball valve depending on your application. Trunnion or V-shaped ball valves provide better performance and in some cases allow for more precise adjustability.

Trunnion ball valves have additional mechanical anchoring at the top and bottom of the ball. They use spline or keying stem connections to eliminate the gap between the ball and stem.V ball valves have a "V" shaped ball instead of the standard round hole. With tapered openings, more control is available, allowing for more linear flow.

We are the Ball Valve manufacturer of China. If you have decided which valves are best for your application, please feel free to contact us.