Ball Valves

Your Professional Ball Valves Manufacturer

Zhejiang AODEHUA Technology Co., Ltd. is located in the beautiful and rich East China Sea - Yuhuan City. Founded in 2002, Aodehua Group specialized in the production of brass water plumbing valves for more than 20 years. Set development, forging, manufacturing, testing, and sales as one, superb technology, and stable and reliable quality make "AOHUA" products win the favor of consumers.

Various Types

Our products cover the entire heating and plumbing system, such as ball valves, gas valves, gate valves, manifolds, TRV, air vent valves, water radiators, magnetic filters, etc.

Fast Delivery

Our company's monthly production capacity reaches 1 million sets, and we can achieve fast and on-time delivery.

Quality Assurance

The entire production process is controlled by the ISO9001 product quality management system. The pass rate of the products is 100%.

24H Online Service

Our customer service representatives are available 24/7 to assist you with any inquiries, technical issues, or after-sales services.

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What Is Ball Valves?

A ball valve is a flow control device that uses a hollow, perforated, and pivoting ball to control fluid flowing through it. It is open when the hole through the middle of the ball is in line with the flow inlet, and closed when it is pivoted 90 degrees by the valve handle, blocking the flow. The handle lies flat in alignment with the flow when open, and is perpendicular to it when closed, making for easy visual confirmation of the valve's status. The shut position 1/4 turn could be in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

Advantages of Ball Valves

HIGH EFFICIENCY

Due to the size of the opening in the ball, ball valves are considered high recovery valves since they have a low-pressure drop and high flow capacity. There is little turbulence or resistance to fluid flow when the valve is fully open.

CONVENIENT USAGE

As a result of their simple quarter-turn (90-degree) operation, ball valves are efficient and convenient to use. As the valve is relatively lightweight and small, it is also easy to install and remove.

LOW MAINTENANCE

Compared to other types of valves, ball valves are simple and require less maintenance. Because the ball valve stem rotates without axial movement, the packing seal on the valve stem does not easily wear or fail.

VERSATILE

Ball valves are also very versatile and can be used in a wide variety of applications. They are commonly used in residential and commercial plumbing applications but can also be used for industrial applications.

COST-EFFICIENT

The cost of ball valves is affordable compared to more complex valve types. Also, as they have low maintenance needs, they’re cheaper to maintain/implement in the long term.

ROBUST

Ball valves are among the most robust valve types because of their ability to withstand high pressures. Their wide range of materials enables them to be used in a variety of environments across a variety of industries.

Ball Valves: Everything You Need to Know!

Ball valves are durable, performing well after many cycles, and reliable, closing securely even after long periods of disuse. These qualities make them an excellent choice for shutoff and control applications, where they are often preferred to gates and globe valves, but they lack the fine control of those alternatives, in throttling applications.

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Common Ball Valve Types

Standard (Threaded)

Standard ball valves consist of the housing, seats, ball and lever for ball rotation. They include valves with two, three and four ports which can be female or male threaded or a combination of those. They have a wide range of options and a large operating range for pressure and temperature.

Hydraulic

Hydraulic ball valves are specially designed for hydraulic and heating systems due to their high operating pressure rating and hydraulic and heating oil resistance. These valves are made of either steel or stainless steel. Besides these materials, the seats also make hydraulic valves suitable for high operating pressure.

Flanged

Flanged ball valves are characterized by their connection type. The ports are connected to a piping system via flanges that are usually designed by a certain standard. These valves provide a high flow rate since they typically have a full-bore design.

Vented

Vented ball valves look almost the same as the standard 2-way ball valves when it comes to their design. The main difference is that the outlet port vents to the environment in the closed position. This is achieved by a small hole that is drilled in the ball and the valve body. When the valve closes, the holes line up with the outlet port and release the pressure.

Forged Ball Valves

Forged ball valves are created by shaping the alloys and metals while they are still in their solid form. The metals and alloys are bent by heating or with industrial-sized tools that deliver compressive forces to bend the materials. Forged ball valves are better suited for industrial applications that require high temperatures, pressures, and other severe conditions.

Materials for Ball Valves

In addition to coming in several designs, ball valves are made of several different materials.

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PVC

Polyvinyl Chloride, also known as PVC, is one type of plastic commonly used in the production of ball valves. Primarily, PVC is valued for its flexibility, as opposed to a metal valve. PVC is also smooth, which allows the valve parts to move easily.

CPVC

Chlorinated PVC has similar characteristics to PVC. What sets CPVC apart from PVC is that Chlorinated PVC can withstand higher temperatures, making it suitable for hot water uses.

Bronze and Brass

A brass Ball Valve with a white handle is a material comprised of both copper and zinc. Bronze is an ideal material for valves used in low or medium pressure systems, and is good for more complex castings. however, brass is more economical than bronze.

Stainless Steel

A Stainless Steel Ball Valve with yellow handle is another common material used to make ball valves. Stainless steel has several positive characteristics that make it a desirable material, including its durability and its corrosion-resistant properties.

Parts of a Ball Valves

Valve Housing

All internal components of a ball valve are contained inside the valve housing or the body. Its primary function is to provide a secure and sealed enclosure for the ball, ensuring that the flow of fluids through the valve can be precisely controlled.

Ball

The ball is a sphere that has a hole in its center. The hole in its center is called the bore. The bore serves as the flow opening of the fluid when the cross-section of the fluid flow path and the bore is coplanar. Otherwise, the flow is throttled.

Shaft

The shaft connects the ball to the control mechanism that rotates the ball. When the shaft is turned, it either aligns the ball with the valve's flow path to permit the flow of fluids or positions the ball perpendicular to the flow path to block it completely.

Bonnet

The bonnet is an extension of the valve housing that contains and protects the shaft and its packing, which is important in high-pressure and high-temperature applications.

Seat

Ball valves have two seats, typically made of soft materials like PTFE (Teflon) or elastomers. These seats form a tight seal around the ball when the valve is in the closed position. They prevent leakage by creating a secure barrier between the ball and the valve body.

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How Do You Repair a Ball Valve?

Shut off the water supply to the affected area or system. You will need to do this both to inspect the ball valve for impaired function and to avoid wasting water or causing further damage to the surrounding area. After draining any excess water from around and within the ball valve and its port, dry the valve with a cloth.

Check which type of fitting your valve uses and remove the ball valve from the port accordingly. Once removed, disassemble the ball valve in an organized and logical order. Keep the constituent parts together and note the order in which they were previously assembled. This will make reassembly much easier, minimizing the risk of errors and omissions.

Carefully inspect each component of the valve, looking particularly for signs of wear and tear. This includes cracks, splits, physical damage, worn patches, or any signs of leaking or excessive stiffness. If the damage is limited to a single component, you may be able to replace just that part rather than the whole unit.

4.If the damage is hard to visually identify or multiple parts are damaged, it may be easier to replace the entire ball valve. This should be a reasonably easy process in most systems, due to the range of fitting options on offer. In addition to compression, push fitting, and threaded ball valves, solvent cement socket valves are another common alternative.

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FAQ

Q: Which is better brass ball valve or plastic ball valve?

A: Brass is a copper and zinc alloy. It is one of the softer metals used for metal ball valve bodies, but this fact can be a little misleading. Brass valves are noted for their durability and have higher pressure ratings than all but the most highly engineered plastics. Brass can also handle and absorb more heat than plastics. Brass has good malleability or plasticity and this makes it cheaper and easier to precisely shape, stretch and mold without breaking, cracking or rupturing.

Q: How Does a Ball Valve Work?

A: Understanding how a ball valve works is fairly straightforward. It is usually designed with a large borehole running through the center, from one side to the other. The ball sits snugly on its seating within a duct opening (port). It is attached directly to the operating handle of the valve, which is usually located above or to the side of the device, often on the outside of a pipe assembly. By rotating the handle, typically one-quarter turn through 90 degrees, the ball is physically turned on its axis within the port.
This action aligns the hole in the ball with the flow direction of the medium inside the duct, allowing it to pass freely through the ball valve. This is known as the on or open position. Turning the handle back 90 degrees in the other direction, to off or close, causes the ball to rotate so that the hole running through it is perpendicular to the flow direction. At this point, the medium can no longer pass through the ball valve, and the flow is completely blocked off.

Q: What is the ball valve used for?

A: Ball valve is the most used fluid shutoff valve in upstream oil and gas production facilities, both onshore and offshore. They are also used in fuel gas systems feeding furnaces.

Q: Why do you need a ball valve?

A: Ball valves offer operational simplicity, quick repair, and a high level of versatility. This means that they are extensively used in industrial applications and able to support pressures up to 1,000 bar (100 MPa, or 15,000 psi) and temperatures up to 400°C (752°F), depending on the material, medium, and design used.

Q: What is the maximum pressure rating for a brass ball valve?

A: The maximum pressure rating for a brass ball valve can vary depending on the specific manufacturer and model. However, in general, brass ball valves typically have a maximum pressure rating of 600-1,000 psi (pounds per square inch). It is important to check the manufacturer’s specifications and guidelines for the specific brass ball valve being used to ensure it can handle the desired pressure in your application. Using a valve with a pressure rating that exceeds the system requirements is recommended to ensure safety and prevent any potential damage or failure.

Q: Can a brass ball valve be used to regulate water flow?

A: Brass ball valves are primarily designed for on/off control of water flow rather than flow regulation. While they can be partially opened or closed to adjust the flow to some extent, they are not typically used as precise flow control devices.
If you require precise and adjustable flow regulation, it is recommended to use a valve specifically designed for that purpose, such as a globe valve or a control valve. These valves have different internal designs that allow for more precise control of flow rates.
However, if you only need basic control of water flow, such as shutting off or opening the flow completely, a brass ball valve can still be suitable for your needs. Just keep in mind that it may not provide the same level of flow regulation as specialized valves.

Q: Is ball valve a control valve?

A: Technically ball valves are also a type of control valves, specifically rotary motion control valves. However, there are many differences between ball valves and linear motion control valves.

Q: What is a ball valve also known as?

A: A ball valve is most suited for conditions where quick on/off and/or bubble-tight service is required. It is also known as an Isolation valve. Ball valves are mainly used in the Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics industries and are very useful in low-flow situations.

Q: Can ball valves be used for air?

A: By selecting the right body material and seals, ball valves can be used in a multitude of applications, ranging from diesel fuel to compressed air.

Q: Can ball valves be used for water?

A: You can use a gas ball valve for water; however, the valve may corrode. Water ball valves are usually galvanized or made of materials not susceptible to corrosion.

Q: What is the difference between a ball valve and a gate valve?

A: Ball valves operate by rotating a ball 90° while gate valves are controlled by moving a gate up or down. Because of their design, ball valves can perform an almost immediate shutoff, whereas gate valves are not able to act as quickly.

Q: Can you use a ball valve to reduce pressure?

A: Because a ball valve should only be fully open or fully closed, it is not advisable to use a ball valve to control pressure. For this application, it's always best to use a pressure-reducing valve, also known as a pressure regulator.

Q: Is the ball valve high or low pressure?

A: A low pressure ball valve works in the same way that a high pressure one does - by controlling the flow of liquids or gases - but is only able to withstand pressures up to 2,000 psi (138 bar). They're also mainly used in conditions where the temperature ranges from -29°C to +150°C.

Q: Are brass ball valves suitable for use in high-temperature environments?

A: Brass ball valves are generally suitable for use in moderate to high-temperature environments. Brass is an alloy composed primarily of copper and zinc, which provides good heat resistance. However, the suitability of a brass ball valve for high-temperature applications depends on several factors, including the specific type of brass used and the maximum temperature of the environment.
Standard brass ball valves typically have temperature ratings up to around 200-250°F (93-121°C).

Q: Can ball valves be used for gas?

A: Ball valves are ideal for controlling the flow of liquid or gas through a system. The rotary ball within the valve stops the flow of material when the valve reaches a specific state. Ball valves perform well in low-flow situations, throttling vapors and gases in hydrocarbon processing applications.

Q: Can ball valves be used for steam?

A: Ball valves are an economic means of providing control with tight shut-off for many fluids including steam at temperatures up to 250°C (38 bar g, saturated steam). Above this temperature, special seat materials or metal-to-metal seatings are necessary, which can be expensive.

Q: How do ball valves not leak?

A: To stop a stem leak on a ball valve, replace the stem packing or stem seals, tighten the gland nut, or repair or replace the valve stem.

Q: Are all ball valves full port?

A: Ball valve ports come in standard or full sizes. The difference can be summed up fairly simply: Full port: The valve port is the same diameter as the pipe. Standard port: The valve port is smaller than the pipe's diameter.

Q: Are brass ball valves suitable for use in industrial settings?

A: Yes, brass ball valves can be suitable for use in industrial settings, depending on the specific application and conditions. Brass is a commonly used material for valves in various industries due to its durability, corrosion resistance, and ease of maintenance.

Q: Can you use a ball valve for hot water?

A: Two ball valves are must have for all tankless water heating systems. These valves allow you to completely shut off the flow of water to and from the heater, allowing you to service the unit or change a filter without any worry about flowing water.

As one of the leading ball valves manufacturers and suppliers in China, we warmly welcome you to wholesale bulk discount ball valves from our factory. All customized products are with high quality and competitive price. For quotation and free sample, contact us now.

Internal and External Ball Valve, Ball Valve with Lever Handle, Ball Valves