A butterfly valve is used when space is limited due to their narrow design. Butterfly valves use a disc which can either stop, regulate or start flow. They are commonly used in a variety of applications such as:

• Food and beverage processing.
• Water and wastewater.
• Oil and gas pipelines.

What are the disadvantages of butterfly valves?

One of the main drawbacks to butterfly valves is they have limited throttling due to the disc always partially obstructing the flow even when fully open which can cause drops in pressure. This therefore limits their throttling ability when compared to other valves such as globe and ball valves. 

Due to butterfly valves' lightweight design this makes them unsuitable for higher pressure and temperature applications as it can lead to valve warping or seal failure. For applications that require a valve to handle higher pressures and temperatures we would recommend using a gate or globe valve.

When installed and maintained properly butterfly valves offer good reliability and are a lightweight and inexpensive solution. However it’s important to understand their limitations and to choose alternative options if you require a valve to handle high temperatures and pressures, high-precision flow or handling sensitive materials. For these options we would recommend:

• Gate valves for high temperatures and pressures.
• Check valves for handling sensitive materials.
• Globe valves for high-precision flow.

If you’re unsure which valve is right for you, get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help.