Many times, the choice of valve type – ball, butterfly, gate, angle seat, or solenoid – rests on installed base or tradition. For example, a water treatment facility tends to use butterfly and gate valves for cost effective throughput. Some applications fall into a gray area where multiple valve types could fulfill the application’s requirements. In these cases, there is not always a right answer or a clear preference for industrial process valve selection.

Below are five tips and tricks to help determine which process valve is most suitable based on a variety of parameters. The comparison between valve types is intended to be a guideline for most general-purpose applications and may not apply to more unique or extreme conditions.