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Valve and Actuator Tips
This section is being developed.  If you want to discuss your valve application, please call us at: 1-888-813-6331 toll free in USA or 763-476-1013 in Canada.

1) Saving Weight, Cost and Space with Wafer Ball Valves
Engineering Professionals have traditionally specified Flanged Ball Valves with ANSI Face to Face Dimension.

Wafer Ball Valve vs Split Body Flanged Ball Valve.  You can safe weight, space and cost over Split Body Ball Valves with a Shorter Face to Face Dimension.  This Valve is Liked by Skid Builders.

2) Improving Valve Control
Rotary VBall Control Valve vs Butterfly Valve vs Globe Control Valve.  Rotary VBall Valves can have up to 300:1 turndown vs 40:1 for Globe Control Valve and 10:1 for Butterfly Control Valve. 

3) Reducing Number of Welds when Replacing Socket Weld Ball Valves
Extended End Socket Weld and Butt Weld 3 Piece Ball Valve

4) Repairing Valve without Disturbing Piping
Top Entry Ball Valve allow repair of valves by removing the valve cover and lifting the ball, seats and seals from the top of the valve.

5) T-Port vs L-Port 3 Way Ball Valves - Side Entry
L port 3 way ball valves the center port is the common port.  T port 3 way ball valves the end port is common which allows either straight through (less pressure loss) or divert.  T ports have more flexibility like having all three ports open at the same time.  Mixing can occur when switching valve position.  90 degree actuation of lever, gear or actuator.
White Paper

6) T-Port vs L-Port 3 Way Ball Valves - Bottom Entry
L port 3 way ball valves can be 90 degrees or 180 degrees operation.  180 degree 3 way L port ball valve has center off position (no mixing).  90 degree valve does not and mixing can occur.

7) 3 Way Ball Valves for HVAC and other Heating and Cooling Applications
various orifice sizes are available.  On-Off, 2-10vdc, 4-20ma and Floating Control are available for Control Types

8) Electric Actuators With Fail Safe Mode
Spring Return, Battery and Capacitor are availble as fail safe devices for Electric Actuators.   In the event of a power failure, the spring, battery or capacitor will drive the valve to a predecided position.  Typically these actuators are not designed for modulating service and can fail if overused.  Most are designed to only be operated at most 3 times per day and overuse may damage the spring.   If you need to cycle continuously, as in modulating service, you may want to consider a pneumatic air actuator. 

9) Vented Ball Valve
Balls may be vented by drilling a hole in the slot at the top to relieve pressure inside the body cavity. behind the ball, when the valve is in the closed position.  Additionally, a hole may be drilled through the ball in either the upstream or downsteam side to relieve pressure inside the ball.  Consider that a valve may be filled with water in the off position and then the process heats up.  Water trapped inside the ball may extrude the valve seats.

10) Considerations for a Steam Ball Valve
There are many different ball valve designs for steam applications.  Typically they come in 15# steam, 150# steam, 250# steam and higher.  The difference is the seat, body seals and stem seals.

11) Welded, Flanged or Threaded?
Typically if the pipe is under 4", npt threaded or welded connections are used.  Although flanged valves 4" and under are available, it is cheaper to use threads or weld it.  When  There are many new Brass fittings for water lines that are either pressed with a special tool or are pushed into place.  Flanges are used on larger pipes and when pipeline integrity is an issue.\
Flanges are machined to a higher tolerance than pipe threads and it is hard to get larger than 3" pipe threads to seal.

12) Actuator Corrosion Issues
Anodized Aluminum Actuators can pit and corrode.  Consider using Nickel Infused,Electroless Nickel Plated, Teflon Coated, Technopolymer, or Stainless Steel Actuator.  Stainless Steel is the most expensive, Technopolymer is the least expensive.



SK-Automation.com is a Leading North American Valve Integrator and Supplier of Ball and Butterfly Valves, Air Operated Ball and Butterfly Valves, Electric Ball and Butterfly Valves, Globe Style and Vball Control Valves

SK-Automation is a Leading US Supplier of Valves, Actuated Valves and Control Valves