How to choose the right industrial valve?

A complete valve selection guide

Quick summary

Choosing the right industrial valve is essential to ensure safety, reliability, process efficiency, and long service life. To select the most suitable valve for your application, you need to consider several factors, including the fluid being handled, operating pressure and temperature, valve function, materials, connection type, certifications, environmental conditions, and maintenance requirements.

This guide explains the key criteria engineers, maintenance teams, and purchasing professionals should evaluate before selecting a ball valve, butterfly valve, gate valve, globe valve, check valve, pressure regulator, safety valve, or any other industrial valve.

Why is proper valve selection important?

Selecting an inappropriate valve can lead to:

Reduced system performance
Premature wear and failure
Leakage and safety risks
Increased maintenance costs
Regulatory compliance issues

A well-selected valve improves operational efficiency, minimizes downtime, and reduces the total cost of ownership throughout the equipment's lifecycle.

What fluid will flow through the valve?

The first step in choosing a valve is understanding the characteristics of the process fluid.

Fluid properties directly affect material compatibility, sealing performance, and certification requirements. Fluids commonly used in industry are:

Water
Compressed air
Steam
Industrial gases

Petroleum products
Solvents
Chemicals
Abrasive slurries
Powders and bulk solids

You should also determine whether the fluid is classified as hazardous or non-hazardous according to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (CLP).

valves and manometers in an industrial environment

What are the operating pressure and temperature conditions?

Pressure and temperature are among the most critical parameters for valve selection.

Consider the following questions:

What is the maximum operating pressure?
What is the minimum operating pressure?
What is the maximum fluid temperature?
What is the minimum fluid temperature?
Are there pressure surges or temperature fluctuations?

Choosing a valve with the correct pressure rating and temperature resistance helps ensure long-term reliability and operator safety.

Can temperature affect a valve's pressure rating?

Pressure and temperature must always be considered together when selecting a valve. As temperature increases, the strengh of valve materials and sealing components may decrease, reducing the maximum allowable working pressure. Always ensure the selected valve is suitable for the highest pressure and temperature conditions expected in your process.

What function must the valve perform?

Before selecting a valve, clearly define its intended function.

Typical functions include:

Isolation
Flow regulation
Pressure control
Balancing
Safety protection
Venting
Draining

The application often determines the most appropriate valve design and operating principle.

Which type of industrial valve should you choose?

Different valve technologies serve different purposes.

For On/Off isolation?

For flow or pressure control?

To prevent backflow?

To protect against overpressure?

The most common solutions include:

For regulating process conditions, consider:

Check valves are specifically designed to prevent reverse flow and protect equipment from damage.

Pressure protection solutions include:

Butterfly valves

Which materials are best for industrial valves?

Material selection is essential to ensure appropriate mechanical properties and chemical compatibility and durability. Selecting compatible materials helps prevent corrosion, degradation, and unexpected failures.

Components to evaluate

Common valve body materials

Common sealing materials

Valve body
Closure element
Seats
Seals and gaskets

Cast iron
Carbon steel
Stainless steel
Brass
PVC
Polypropylene

PTFE
EPDM
FKM (Viton®)
NBR

How do you determine the correct valve size?

The valve size should be based on process requirements rather than simply matching pipe dimensions.

Factors to consider include:

Flow rate
Pressure loss requirements
Fluid velocity
Pipe diameter
Cv or Kv coefficients

Proper sizing impoves efficiency and prevents excessive wear caused by undersized or oversized valves.

Which valve connection type should you choose?

The connection method depends on installation requirements, operating conditions, and maintenance considerations. It may also be necessary to verify the face-to-face dimensions according to EN 558 or other applicable standards.

Threaded Connections

Welded Connections

Flanged Connections

Quick Couplings

Common threaded standards include:

For permanent installations:

Socket Weld (SW)
Butt Weld (BW)

Common flange standards include:

EN 1092
ANSI / ASME
JIS

Suitable for frequent connection and disconnection:

Camlock
Clamp
Symmetrical couplings

Should you choose a manual or actuated valve?

The choice depends on process automation requirements and operating frequency.

Manual valve operation

Automated valve operation

Common options include:

Handle
Handwheel
Lever
Gear operator

Automated solutions include:

Pneumatic actuators
Electric actuators
Hydraulic actuators

Which standards and certifications are required?

Valve compliance requirements vary depending on the industry and application. Ensuring compliance helps meet regulatory requirements and improve operational safety. Consult our Regulation & Certification FAQ.

Examples include: