Butterfly Valves

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FAQs

What is a Butterfly Valve?

Butterfly Valves are a family of quarter-turn valves that isolate or shut off the flow of a liquid medium in pipelines. The closing mechanism comes in the form of a rotational disc. Lightweight, compact, and simple by design, butterfly valves are intrinsic to industrial processes to provide both bi-directional flow and shut-off capabilities.  Having fewer moving parts, butterfly valves are popular because they have low installation costs, fewer wear parts and are light in weight.

How does a Butterfly Valve work?

The “butterfly” is a disc connected to a stem. When the shaft rotates, it closes the disc by a quarter-turn perpendicular to the direction of the flow. If you require training options for butterfly valves or any other associated products, get in touch with one of our valve and process experts today.

How long will my Butterfly Valve last?

Butterfly valves can be made using a wide range of materials such as stainless steel, cast iron, ductile iron PVC or FIP thermoplastics, depending on what they are required for. For this reason, the better (and usually more expensive) material used to create the valve, the longer it will last. Another rule of thumb is the more offsets the valve has, the longer it will last. To find out how long your butterfly valve will last in operation, it’s best to contact the manufacturer direct, or a valve expert who can give you a guide to its lifespan and when you should look to replace it.

How do I install a Butterfly Valve?

Installing a butterfly is fairly straightforward, however there are a few things you should inspect before and during installation.

• Ensure your working conditions such as safety, pressure and temperature are within the capacity range for the valve being installed.
• Double check that the material of the valve is of a compound compatible with the type of media flowing through the pipeline.
• Make sure the valve flange end and the mating flanges are clean and do not have any defects

Install the lever or hand-wheel and turn clockwise to ensure the valve is fully closed. The disc itself should be aligned parallel to the ends. If it doesn’t seem aligned parallel to the ends (for a lever operated valve) loosen the top plate slightly by loosening the attached bolts and turn the lever clockwise again until the disc is properly centred and parallel, then re-tighten the top plate. After ensuring the pipe flange faces are void of any foreign materials, insert the product between the flanges while the disc is in the closed position. Slowly open the valve and close it again to see if the operation is unobstructed and then tighten the flange bolts. Pressurise the system to see if there are any leaks, and, if not, your product is installed correctly.

What is a Butterfly Valve used for?

Butterfly valves are used across a wide range of applications. The more common purposes of butterfly valves include cooling water, air, gases and fire protection applications.

What warranty do I get?

Warranties will vary between manufacturers. It’s always best to ask your supplier about warranty options, as well as servicing and repair. There’s no worse feeling than realising too late that a vital part is not working as it should or breaks unexpectedly. If your business requires high-pressure and process valves in both light and heavy industry, contact a Winnellie Valves and Process valve expert to see how they can help with all your valve and process requirements.

What are the advantages of Butterfly Valves?

Due to their wafer design they are ideally suited to applications requiring large diameter valves such as the water industry or where weight is a significant consideration such as offshore platforms and ships. Butterfly valves are widely used in low pressure / temperature water applications in the oil and gas, mining, petrochemical, chemical and marine industries because of how easy they are to operate, they can be quickly opened and shut off as you only need to do a quarter-turn to fully open or close the valve.

How many types of Butterfly Valves are there?

Similar to a ball valve, butterfly valves come in three specific designs dependent on the level of performance required. Concentric, double offset (eccentric) and triple offset (eccentric). Each design provides different levels of sealing capabilities. The first offset offers continuous sealing, while the double offset allows the valve to open with minimal friction, increasing its durability. The triple offset butterfly valve has three offsets located in different positions.

Do Butterfly Valves have a flow direction?

Butterfly valves are bi-directional, however they do have a preferred flow direction. It’s strongly recommended that the valves are installed in the preferred flow direction as this will extend the valve’s life span and will also lower the operating torque.