Four Types of Gate Valves Available In the Market

 As the name suggests, a gate valve has a gate or a rectangular wedge that can be opened and closed to allow or stop the flow of the fluid passing across the pipeline. These valves act as an isolation valve and are found to be attached to the pipelines. Used in residential and industrial settings, gate valves are popular for its ON/OFF controlling mechanism. Before you choose the best valve that suits your needs, here are some gate valves you could choose from.

1.     Wedge Gate Valves: These valves are generally used in industrial settings to help turn on or turn off the flow of fluid as the need be. This valve supports a wedge-shaped gate that, in turn, lies perpendicular to the flow of the fluid. Available in all kinds of material ranging from stainless steel, bronze,  or even cast iron; gate valves can be bought in many sizes.

Wedge gate valves are characterized by:

ü  Low-pressure drop

ü  Straight flow throughout

2.     Knife Gate Valves: These valves come useful in larger pipelines for cutting through solids and liquids. If you are choosing metal seated knife gate valves, you need to know that they aren’t fully leak-proof. However, some valves support a resilient seat, thus making it fully drop-tight. You can find knife gate valves in all types from v-port, o-port, to lined port; knife valves are suitable for regulating semi-solids, waste and bulk materials, or even slurries.

Knife gate valves are characterized by:

ü  Single-flow direction

ü  Cuts through thick liquids and gases

3.      Parallel Slide Gate Valves: An alternative to double-disc valves, the parallel slide gate valve is known to support a single wedge. These gate valves are known to utilize the system pressure to help in effective isolation. The best part about parallel gate valves reflects in its capability to run even on low operative forces and its ability to offer smooth flow paths between the seats. You can buy this type of valve from any gate valve store near you as they are readily available.

Parallel Slide gate valves are characterized by:

ü  Have lower torque when compared to wedge gate valves

ü  No dangerous strains involved while opening and closing

4.      Pipeline Slab Gate Valves: These are full-port valves that imply that the hole in the gate is of the same size as the pipe. These valves facilitate full flow across the valve along with the low-pressure drop and assist in pigging the line as per the requirement. The built of this valve is such that it does not wither the seat no matter how heavy the flow gets. The design of a pipeline slab gate valve supports seats that are spring energized.

Pipeline slab gate valves are characterized by:

ü  Generally used for petroleum products

ü  Maintains the pressure against the seats

The Takeaway

These are the four types of gate valves that are prevalent in the market. Before you choose the best valve for your needs, make sure to consult valve sellers around. This is the best way to safeguard your investment.