A ball valve is a shut-off valve that controls the flow of a liquid or gas by means of a rotary ball having a bore. By rotating the ball a quarter turn (90 degrees) around its axis, the valve is opened or closed and the medium can flow through or is blocked, respectively. Ball valves are characterized by a long service life and provide reliable sealing over the life span, even when the valve is not in use for a long time. They are more resistant to contaminated media than most other types of valves.

Certain versions of ball valves are also used as control valves. This application is less common due to the relatively limited accuracy of controlling the flow rate compared with other types of control valves. However, ball valves offer some advantages here. For example, they ensure reliable sealing, even if the media is dirty

Applications

• Industrial: Used in oil and gas, chemical processing, water treatment, and manufacturing industries.
• Residential: Commonly found in plumbing systems, such as shut-off valves for water and gas lines.
• HVAC Systems: For controlling the flow of heating and cooling fluids.
• Agricultural: Used in irrigation systems.

The types of ball valves include floating, trunnion, full port, reduced port, V-port, and multi-port.