3 Way Ball Valves

3 Way Ball Valves

3-way ball valves have three ports through which flow passes. While some 3 way ball valves have all ports open, others may all be closed or only have one open. 3-way valves are commonly made such that flow coming in at one port can be directed to either the second port in one position or the third port in another position or in an intermediate position so all flow is stopped. Often such 3-way valves are ball or rotor valves. Other kinds of 3-port valves can be designed for other possible flow-directing schemes and positions.

Advances in ball valve design and materials have significantly increased their popularity. Ball valves can be used for isolation of systems, regulation of some types of low flow (e.g. throttling the flow of air at differential pressures up to 1,000 psi) and backflow prevention, but only with a swing check component. 3-way ball valves are particularly useful for flows moving in many directions, such as a faucet that distributes both cold and hot water. 3 way ball valves can handle high pressure and a large volume of fluids, gases and suspended solids.