Manual Ball Valves: How They Work and How to Choose the Right Valve

A manual ball valve is a quarter-turn shutoff valve that uses a rotating ball with a drilled passage to control fluid flow. By turning the valve handle 90 degrees, operators can quickly start, stop, or regulate flow in a piping system.

Unlike automated ball valves, manual ball valves require physical operation and are commonly used in applications where remote control or automatic operation is not required.

Manual Ball Valve Products

All of the manual ball valve bodies are made of 304 stainless steel, with stainless steel components and PTFE seals inside. Each of the new valves is full port (full bore) and NPT threaded. They are lead-free and safe to use with potable drinking water as well as food and pharmaceutical applications. For more information on media that can be used with stainless steel and PTFE systems, please refer to the ESV chemical compatibility database.

Below are the different variations within our new line of products.

2-Way Split Body Ball Valves

These valves have two ports, allowing media to flow in one direction, or be stopped with the valve lever in the off position. They are assembled with a 2 or 3-piece housing around the ball, which allows the valves to be dismantled for cleaning, repairs, and inspections.

2-Piece Ball Valves

This is the most commonly used type of ball valve and can be used for most applications. The valve can be disassembled for cleaning and maintenance, but it requires the valve to be removed from the pipe in order to dismantle it.

3-Piece Ball Valves

A 3-piece ball valve can easily be disassembled for cleaning, maintenance, and inspections without needing to remove the valve from the piping. This type of ball valve is often used in pharmaceutical and food & beverage industries, among others, where sanitation is important.

3-Way Ball Valves

3-way multi-port ball valves allow the user to divert, mix, split, or shut off multiple streams of media. There are two possible configurations that the ball is cut in for these types of valves: L-bore (L-type) and T-bore (T-type). Each bore type allows for different flow paths based on the direction the ball is turned.

L-Type (Port) Valves

Having an L shape, the ball will direct fluid between two adjacent ports or to shut off the valve completely. Media can flow between the center port and one of the side ports, but not both side ports at the same time.

T-Type (Port) Valves

Shaped like a capital T, this valve allows a third position that connects all three ports at the same time. Each quarter turn changes the flow path to either open one side port with the center, the opposite side port with the center, all three ports, or off.

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