Whether it is a ball valve, actuated valve, butterfly valve or any other kind, valves are vital for numerous industries. They ensure that fluids are kept under a controlled flow, and that the flow can be easily stopped and started if needed. But how can you tell if a valve is open or closed?
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A valve is considered to be closed when the handle is turned at 90 degrees to the direction of flow. Therefore, when the handle is parallel to the direction of flow, the valve is open. On some ball valves there may not be a handle, in which case, the direction of the flathead screw on the valve can be used as a similar indication as a handle. I.e., if the screw runs parallel to the flow, the valve is open.
Keep reading to find out more about how to tell if a valve is open or closed, as well as some of the different types of valves.
A valve is a very simple mechanism. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a valve as 'A device of the nature of a flap, lid, plug etc., applied to a pipe or aperture to control the passage of air, steam, water or the like'' Simply put, a valve is a way of controlling the flow of liquid or any media through obstructing its pathway. Valves can be found everywhere, in nature, life, and industry. Even your bathroom taps are valves.
Valves are essential components for numerous industries and many everyday uses across various different applications. At home, in industry, just about anywhere where we need to control the flow of liquids or gases. Valves enable us to 'shut-off' supply when it's not required and then simply re-establish flow as soon as we open them up again.
Now we have established what a valve is, how do we know if a valve is open or closed? The majority of valves require a handle to turn the valve from the closed position to the open position. This diagram shows us what this looks like on a simple ball valve.
Usually, when someone asks if a valve is open or closed, they're not really that interested in the orientation of the valve but what they really want to know is, is there flow passing through? It also may be important to know whether a valve is open or closed before being installed. Otherwise, an open valve installed in error could result in preventable leakages.
In order to tell if the valve is open or closed, the general rule is, if the handle is switched 90 degrees to the flow, it is off. As you can see from the diagram above, if the handle is in line with the flow path, it is on. Simple. Of course, this only applies to manual style valves such as the ball valve in the above diagram. There are exceptions to this rule, such as with actuated valves, which are remotely operated.
Beer pumps don't look like our diagram but behave in the same way. When the pump handle is pulled down, the valve opens the flow path and instantly releases its sweet divine nectar. Pure joy!
Unlike a ball valve, a butterfly valve isolates each end when you separate the coupling. Similarly, a super versatile dry break coupling can successfully prevent any leakage occurring during operation of the valve. Browse the whole range of dry disconnect valves by clicking the button below.
In the example of a beer pump, it is possible for the valve to be in the open position and yet for there to be no flow. Heart breaking! For a beer pump to work correctly the valve needs to be open and a carrier gas (CO2) needs to be flowing into the keg to force the beer out of the other end. If the gas is not connected, there will be no beer, and sadly, we will be calling it an early night!
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Understanding the differences between butterfly and ball valves is essential for various industrial, mechanical, and plumbing applications. Here's a guide to help you distinguish between them:
Butterfly Valves
Butterfly valves are quarter-turn valves that use a disk as the flow control element. They are lightweight, compact, and used for quick shut-off in systems with large pipe diameters.
Visual Identification
Ball Valves
Ball valves are quarter-turn valves that use a hollow, perforated ball to control flow. They are known for providing a tight seal and are used in a variety of applications where reliable shut-off is required.
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Visual Identification
Understanding these differences will help you correctly identify and select the appropriate valve type for your specific needs. Get in contact today and let us help you!
Ball valves are often preferred to gate or globe valves due to their ease of use, but they can lack the fine control required in throttling applications. They can also be problematic when it comes to cleaning for pharmaceutical, bioprocessing, or food and beverage applications or, if a fitting for non-contamination is required, you may want to explore another option.
If you are unsure and you require a more advanced valve for your operation, please call us for more advice.
One question that plagues both homeowners and professionals alike is: 'Is my valve open or closed?' If you have a butterfly or ball valve, the direction of the handle indicates whether the valve is open or closed. If you have a stop or gate valve, it is harder to tell if your valve is open or closed because there are very little to no visual cues, meaning you have to rely on the amount of resistance to determine if your valve is truly closed. Below we'll walk through four different types of valves, discussing the specifics of determining if the valve is closed or open.
Ball valves are adeptly named because of the ball that sits inside the housing unit. The ball has a hole through the center. This hole faces the flow of water when the valve is open. When the valve is closed, the solid side of the ball faces the flow, effectively blocking further forward movement of the liquid. Because of this design, ball valves are a type of shut-off valve, meaning they can only be used to stop and start flow; not regulate the flow.
Ball valves are perhaps the easiest valve to see if they are open or closed. If the handle on top is parallel to the valve, it's open. Likewise, if the handle is perpendicular to the top, the valve is closed.
Common places you might find a ball valve are in irrigation and in sites where you need to control water supply from one area to another.
Butterfly valves differ from all the other valves in this post because not only can they be used as a shut-off valve, they can also be used as a regulatory valve. Inside the butterfly valve is a disc that rotates as you turn the handle. Butterfly valves can regulate flow by having the disc partway open.
Butterfly valves have a lever handle on the top that is similar to the ball valve. This handle both indicates if the flow is on or off, and can be used to turn the valve partway on by locking the disc in place. When the handle is parallel to the valve, it is closed, and when it is perpendicular to the valve, it is open.
Butterfly valves are suited for use in garden irrigation, and they are also commonly used in space-restrictive applications. They have a slender design that makes them ideal for tight-fitting spaces. Because of the disc inside, these valves are not the best to use in high-pressure applications as there will always be something in the way partially blocking the flow.
Gate valves are a type of isolation (or shut off) valve that are found on pipes that require the complete turn off or on of flow. Gate valves have a knob on top that when turned raises and lowers the gate inside, hence the name. To turn on the gate valve, you turn the knob counter-clockwise, and you turn it clockwise to turn off the valve.
There is no visual indicator to see if a gate valve is open or closed. It is, therefore, important to remember that when you are turning the knob you must stop when you hit resistance; to continue to try and turn the valve could potentially damage the gate, rendering your gate valve ineffective.
The most common uses around the house for gate valves are for your main water shut off or, as you might see more frequently, the water spigot on the outside of your home.
The final valve on our list is a stop valve, which is another type of shut off valve. This valve looks similar to the gate valve, but it is more compact. It is also the valve that you might be the most familiar with. These valves are often used to connect appliances, like toilets and sinks, to the water supply line in your house. You twist the stop valve clockwise to turn the supply off and counter-clockwise to turn it on. Stop valves have a stem under their handle that rises and lowers as the valve is turned off and on. The stem is not visible when the stop valve is closed.
At the end of the day, the most important part to knowing if a valve is open or closed is to know what type of valve you have. Ball and butterfly valves both have a lever handle on top that indicates if the valves are open or closed; whereas gate and stop valves both require the turning of a knob and have no or harder to see visual cues on if they are open or closed.
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