Regardless of the tank type or its exact purpose, ensuring a reliable water supply is crucial for many residential, industrial, or commercial applications. Yet the means to efficiently regulate levels within water tanks comes from a relatively simple device, the ball float valve. First developed in the late 1700s, ball float valves are widely used in HVAC systems, plumbing, water treatment, and other applications to regulate water levels. Commonly known as a ballcock, balltap, or simply a float valve, this device remains one of the most efficient solutions for controlling water levels in tanks of all sizes.
Ball float valves float on the water’s surface, rising and falling as water levels increase. When water levels are too low, the valve opens to allow water to flow into the tank and closes when a certain predetermined level is reached. However, sometimes ball float valves don’t operate as expected, often due to the wrong type or size of ball float valve being selected. Issues can also occur because of poor installation or upkeep. For this reason, it’s essential for those who depend on their performance to understand the different types and sizes of ball float valves, how to install them, and resolve issues that sometimes affect their operation.
Maintaining Tank Liquid Levels with Ball Float Valves
Ball float valves work by mechanically controlling liquid levels and detecting changes in tank water levels by opening or closing the valve to allow water to enter or exit the tank. Domestic water systems use smaller ball float valves, such as those used in toilets, that manage the water used to flush waste away. In a hot water heater, a ball float valve maintains the level in the cold-water header tank that regulates the pressure of the hot water within it. Other ball float valves are fitted into copper piping and designed to regulate water pressure coming into a building.
Choosing the best ball float valve for an application depends on the following:
- Material: Ball float valves can be made from stainless steel, plastic, or brass, with certain materials more suitable depending on their durability and the water’s composition.
- Specifications: Sometimes, the type of ball float valve requires certain specifications dependent on the application, including whether it’s for agricultural, industrial, or residential purposes.
- Tank size: Larger tanks have higher water pressure, so they need more robust ball float valves.
Depending on the material, ball float valves can be used for different types of liquids, but all help prevent the tanks from overfilling by diverting the liquid rather than allowing it to overflow. Some floats are mounted on the tank’s base, with an outlet that pipes fluid through the tank’s wall. The valve portion of the mechanism is linked to the float arrangement within the tank to control fluid levels.
Comparing Ball Float Valves
Though most ball float valves close when liquid levels rise, certain industrial types reverse this action. The most common setup involves the float valve mounted on the side of the tank and above the fluid level to enable maintenance without draining fluid from the tank. More economical varieties allow adjustment of liquid levels through the bending of the ball arm, while more pricey versions feature a bolted connection that facilitates adjustment of the ball arm.
Some of the more commonly used ball float valves include:
- Floating ball valve: In this kind of ball float valve, the ball remains unfixed from the valve’s stem, instead relying on fluid pressure to create a seal.
- Full bore ball valve: Also referred to as a full port ball valve, this float valve has a large ball with a diameter that matches a pipeline’s inner diameter; this type of ball float valve reduces pressure drops throughout the valve with a design that doesn’t restrict flow.
- Multi-port ball valve: This variety of ball float valves has several ball configurations and ports, diverting fluid in different directions and allowing a more versatile pattern of flow.
- Reduced bore ball valve: Also known as a reduced port ball valve, this version of a ball float valve features a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of a pipeline; these types of ball float valves offer somewhat more excellent resistance to the flow of fluid, though they’re also inexpensive and more compact.
- Trunnion-mounted ball valve: The trunnion tends to be used for higher pressures and offers this ball float valve additional support, which reduces the ball’s load.
- V-port ball valve: This version of a ball float valve features a V-shaped ball, enabling greater accuracy and control over the flow and is used for processes that require more precise regulation of fluid flow.
Considering these general designs allows those tasked with determining the best ball float valve for an application to select the style that’s most suitable.
Advantages of Ball Float Valves
Ball float valves provide certain advantages for numerous applications, which is why they’re often used in industrial settings.
Key benefits of ball float valves in tank systems include:
- Averting wastage of water through control of the fluid level to minimize the chance of overflow.
- Longer lifespan of the system due to the float valve’s robust structure, which can also resist corrosion and wear if made from the right materials.
- Controlling flow in both directions to augment their usefulness.
- Handling wider ranges of pressures and temperatures that make them appropriate for an assortment of applications.
- Minimizing loss of pressure due to their streamlined design, which also makes them more energy efficient.
- Protecting areas against damage from water (or other fluids) by mitigating the risk of overflows.
- Providing a consistent and reliable water supply by ensuring a stable level of water.
- Reliably and immediately shut off during emergencies.
While ball float valves have these many advantages, they’re also prone to flow obstruction, so they shouldn’t be used with slurries and other thick liquids. Additionally, float valves can cause issues with surging, as they can cause waves on the surface of fluids in tanks.
Arthur Harris: The Ball Float Valve Experts
Ball float valves are central to many control systems that require liquid-level control. Arthur Harris & Company specializes in stainless steel floats, for which our company has been a market leader for over a century. Our high-quality stainless steel ball float valves are used in many industries for their corrosion resistance, durability, and reliability, allowing them to withstand harsh industrial conditions. Arthur Harris also provides numerous other fluid-level control solutions that can be customized to suit the needs of our customers. Contact Arthur Harris directly to learn more about our stainless steel ball float valves and other products and services.