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A while back we gave you an introduction to ball valves and their uses and benefits. They’re versatile components that can be used in a wide range of industrial applications, and they’re popular thanks to their strength, durability and affordability.
In this piece, we’re taking a look at ball valve advantages and disadvantages, as we delve a little deeper into understanding these components.
Ball valve design
Ball valves were first created in the 1950s, and gained widespread use in a range of sectors, from chemical and petroleum to papermaking and even water treatment plants. This simple component consists of a ball that sits inside a pipe. The ball has a hole in the centre, and this allows liquid and gas to pass through it when the hole is lined up with the pipe. When the ball turns and the hole is no longer flush with the pipe, movement of substances cease.
Ball valves – especially the newer plastic variety – have been designed to withstand high temperatures and pressures. Moreover, their durability means they’re able to maintain and/or regulate extreme volumes and pressures, as well as high velocity flows.
That said, there are some drawbacks to the design of the ball valve. They can get jammed in one position if they’re used for the wrong application, like slurries. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the substance you’re wanting to regulate will not cause your ball valves to get stuck in place. Ball valves are also not recommended for sustained throttling.
This clever video depicts how ball valves work.
Ball valve repair and ball valve replacement
When people talk about ball valve advantages and disadvantages, one of the major pros that comes up is the fact that they’re highly durable. Ball valves are recognised for their ability to provide many years of reliable service, particularly the plastic variety, which are obviously not prone to rusting like their metal counterparts.
Of course, as with any component that is under constant strain, damage can occur. Another great advantage of some types of ball valves is that they’re very simple to repair. Thanks to their basic design, you can easily access seals and seats to fix them as and when you need to. Repairs can take place fairly quickly and without intense workmanship.
It’s also worth noting that ball valves, thanks to the regulating elements’ design, makes it easy for the component to function without having to worry about side loads, which are often a problem when using butterfly or globe valves. This means that ball valves are less prone to damage than other kinds of valves.
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