Ball Valve vs Gate Valve - A Complete Guide on How They Work
There are various types of valves available in the market. While each of them has a specific use case, some of them have overlapping operations.
One such overlap is between the ball valve and the gate valve. This has resulted in a debate between the ball valve vs gate valve.
Gate valves and ball valves are on/off valves that have different sizes and specifications like ability to handle high pressure and temperature.
These valves are used in similar conditions, but there are certain differences. Let’s go in-depth and see which is the right one to choose for your project.
Ball Valve vs Gate Valve - What Are They?
Ball Valve
A ball valve, as the name suggests, has a ball that controls the flow of the fluid passing through the valve. The ball moves according to the pressure of the fluid, allowing the fluid to enter through a gate.
Ball valves typically have one opening, but they can be customized for multiple entry points known as ports. The two-way ball valve has two ports, and it works as an on/off valve. The multi-port valves are used in situations where multiple sources of fluids need to be attached or the fluid needs to flow in multiple different lines.
Ball valves come in both manual and automatic variants. Also, they only require a 90-degree turn to perform their function, making them faster than gate valves.
There are different types of ball valves including full bore ball valve, reduced bore valve, V port ball valve, and cavity filler ball valve among others.
A full-bore ball valve contains a larger ball so that the hole of the ball is equal to the size of the pipe which reduces friction loss.
A reduced bore ball valve has a smaller flow area than the pipe, which results in quicker flow of fluid.
A V port ball valve can have a V-shaped seat or a V-shaped ball. This makes for an even flow through the valve.
Cavity filler ball valves prevent any fluid from getting stuck in the cavity of the valve. This is made possible by ensuring that the seat and the ball is always in contact.
Gate Valve
Gate valves, as the name suggests, utilize a gate to manage fluid flow. They fully stop the flow by lifting or lowering a solid gate. The components include a seat, disc, and operator.
Due to their “absolute” nature, Gate valves don’t regulate but completely allow flow or shut it down. These valves also need a 360-degree turn to open or close as opposed to the 90-degree turn of the Ball valve. This renders Gate valves slower than Ball valves and hence they can’t be used in quick flowing operations.
Gate valves are typically managed by a manual wheel, but it also comes with electric actuation.
Ball Valve vs Gate Valve - Comparison
As we mentioned, 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. This makes ball valves a better choice for applications where fast cycle speed is desired.
The ball valves are quicker in action and work both manually and automatically. This is beneficial in most cases but can cause water hammering when the pressure is too high. In turn, this can weaken pipes and cause them to break. It is recommended to control the speed of switching the ball valve on/off.
Ball Valve vs Gate Valve - Uses
Here are some use cases of each of the two valves:
Ball Valves
Provide fluid control for systems in the following industries:
- Food & Beverage
- Oil & Gas
- Automotive
- Power Processing
- Washing systems
- Pharmaceutical
- Chemical Treatment
- Irrigation & Water Filtration
- Manufacturing Facilities
- House plumbing systems.
Gate Valves
They provide simple open/shut operations in the following:
- Power Plants
- Mining
- Wastewater Plants
- Processing Plants
- Large Water Supply
- Older home plumbing systems.
Cost of the Valves
Cost is a crucial factor in picking between gate valve vs ball valve. Generally, ball valves are more expensive than gate valves, but gate valves have a higher maintenance cost due to damage. Ball valves have a higher upfront cost but are more durable with less maintenance in the long run.
Maintenance of the Valves
Gate valves are not long-lasting because they are prone to corrosion. If gate valves are used in high-pressure applications, they need to be replaced frequently. As opposed to this, ball valves are generally free of maintenance and don’t require frequent replacement. There are some ball valves that can be easily maintained without stopping operation as well.
Ball Valve vs Gate Valve - Final Verdict
So, the choice between a ball valve and a gate valve comes down to the type of application they are being used for.
Gate valves work best in systems where the fluid is a thick liquid, the flow cycles are few, and space is less. Whereas, Ball valves are most suited to high-volume, frequent flow requirements with multiple ports and larger space for installation.
Wrapping Up
We hope this article helped you understand the basic differences between a ball valve and a gate valve. Let’s do a quick summary of what we learned.
Ball valves can be used for high-flowing, regulatory environments, while Gate valves can only work in situations where the flow rate is low and infrequent.
Also, Ball valves have less leakage issues which makes them ideal for both gasses and liquids while the Gate valve works only for liquids such as oil.
Furthermore, Ball valves are stout but require more space to fit whereas a gate valve can be fitted more easily. Ball valves need a handle to work, which for some operations is small in size, but for others it has a bigger shape. This hinders operability in small pipes.
Finally, Ball valves are available in multi-port variants while Gate valves aren’t. So, if you have fluids coming in from multiple outlets, then the best bet is to use a ball valve.
For more such interesting information on valves, keep following the Metpure Blog!
