How to Choose the Right Valve For Your Piping System

A valve serves as the control element in fluid piping systems. It's oftenused to control fluids such as water, air. oil. liquid metal and steam. regulate the pressure and flow,prevent backflowand isolate the system from the liquid medium.

The right valve for your piping system depends on a number offactors, including the type, use and the medium to be controlled.

How Do You Choose a Valve? A Short Checklist

In order to determine which valve works best, you will need to answer several questions.

The first thing you will need to address is how you'l be using the valve. More importantly, what medium will be contained? Furthermore, what will be the system's working temperature and pressure?

You can select from gray cast iron, copper alloy, stainless acid-resistant steel or carbon steel, then go to the type of valve that works best in your specific application, e.g., a pressure reducing valve, safety valve, ball valve, gate valve or steam trap.

After this, you can go into technical details, including the connection rmethod and nominal diameter- will it be done by welding, threading or flanged? Also, how will you operate the valve? Several options comeinto play here, including hydraulic, pneumatic, electric or manual.

Parameters and geometric aspects round out your decision in choosirig the best valve. Factors such as nominal pipeline diameter and valve seat hole diameter will give way to specifics, such as discharge capacity, allowable flow resistance and others. The selected valve should support the flange size and form, structural length, valve height after closing or opening, bolt holes and sizes, and overall size.

How Do You Choose The Right Valve

The system's medium and application will determine which type of valve works for you.

There are three things you'll need to determine-the best control methcd. what the system's operating conditions are, and the valve's function.

The piping system's medium will largely dictate the material of the valve, as are its working temperature and working pressure. Corrosive medium will make certain valve materials inapplicable. as are properties such as corrosive, toxic, flammable and the like. How viscous the medium is and whether it contains solid particles are important factors to consider as well.

As for particulars, you will need to check the fluid characteristics ancd its requirements. Sealing level, flow characteristics, discharge capacity and flow resistance are all points to consider.

In addition, you will need to ensure that the valve is reliable, has a good amount of service life and has explosion-proof characteristics for electric device applications.

Additional Valve Parameters You Should Consider

For control valves, you will need to check additional parameters, inclucling minimum and maximum valve pressure, pressure values, minimum and maximum flow and method of operation.

The valve is often the final control method in a pipeline system. It's usecl to control the flow of medium within the system, and thus the valve flowchannel should be taken into consideration as well. Understanding the various types and how they function is key to getting the perfect valve