Floating ball valves are offered by all of our principal valve manufacturers Starline and Pekos. Various configurations and design features are available. Floating ball valves are used in many industrial applications and are available as simple quarter-turn isolation valves and also multiport valve configurations. We can provide advice and recommendations for valve selection depending on the various criteria required.
Floating Ball Valves
Suitable for all industries
- Low-pressure drop
- Smaller pipelines – more cost-effective
- Easy to operate
Pekos from Spain offer a comprehensive range of Ball Valve products, designed for many different industries and applications. High quality, and reliable, with critical global after-sales support
Our European quality stock holding of Starline forged duplex valves are corrosion resistant and are suitable for applications in marine, offshore, and chemical industries. Fast-track UK manufacturing under license supports our stock profile for guaranteed deliveries.
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Pekos
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Size Range | ½” – 16” |
Pressure Class | ANSI 150#, 2” – 24” |
ANSI 300#, 2” – 18” | |
ANSI 600#, 1” – 8” | |
Materials | WCC / LCC / CF8M / Bronze AB2 |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore bolted, Reduced Bore end entry |
Design | Floating Ball, Guided Ball and Full Trunnion Mounted. |
Seat Inserts | PTFE / RPTFE / TFM |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Ta Luft, Lloyds Firesafe & Type Approval |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
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Master/Superstar
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Megastar
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Threadedstar
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Multiport
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Ultrastar
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Size Range | ½” – 4” |
Pressure Class | ANSI 150# |
ANSI 300# | |
ANSI 600# | |
ANSI 800# | |
Materials | A105 / LF2 / F316/L / Duplex F51-F5 |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore & Reduced Bore, Bolted Body Construction |
Design | Full Trunnion Mounted, Double Block & Bleed |
Seat Inserts | Virgin PTFE / RPTFE / Devlon / Peek |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Firesafe Certified, API Monogram |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
Bespoke | Starline’s unique product interchangeability allows for easy changes of end connections, trim, seats, seals & bolting. We keep an extensive stock holding of component parts, we keep over 25 different O-Ring materials in stock, this enables us to provide the exact specification required. Full workshop & test facilities enables fast track changes. |
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Size Range | ½” – 2 |
Pressure Class | ANSI 900# |
ANSI 1500# | |
ANSI 2500# | |
Materials | A105 / LF2 / F316/L / Duplex F51 |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore & Reduced Bore, Bolted Body Construction |
Design | Full Trunnion Mounted, Double Block & Bleed |
Seat Inserts | Devlon / Peek / PCTFE |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Firesafe Certified, API Monogram |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
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Size Range | ½” – 6” |
Pressure Class | ANSI 900# |
ANSI 1500# | |
Materials | A105 / LF2 / F316/L / Duplex F51-F53-F55 |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore & Reduced Bore, Bolted Body Construction |
Design | Full Trunnion Mounted, Double Block & Bleed |
Seat Inserts | PTFE / RPTFE / Peek |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Firesafe Certified, API Monogram |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
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Size Range | ½” – 2” |
Pressure Class | ANSI 150# |
ANSI 300# | |
ANSI 600# | |
Materials | A105 / LF2 / F316/L |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore & Reduced Bore, Bolted Body Construction |
Design | Full Trunnion Mounted, Double Block & Bleed |
Seat Inserts | PTFE / RPTFE |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Firesafe Certified, API Monogram |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
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Size Range | 1” – 8” |
Pressure Class | ANSI 150# |
ANSI 300# | |
ANSI 600# | |
ANSI 900# | |
ANSI 1500# | |
ANSI 2500# | |
Materials | A105 / LF2 / F316/L / Duplex F51 |
Trim | St. Steel F316 and Exotic |
Construction | Full Bore & Reduced Bore, Bolted Body Construction |
Design | Full Trunnion Mounted, Double Block & Bleed |
Seat Inserts | RPTFE / Devlon / Peek |
Certification | NACE, PED CE/CA, ATEX, Firesafe Certified, API Monogram |
Features | LT AED O-Rings, ISO Top flange, Emergency Sealant Injection (300# & 600#), European Origin Materials |
Floating Ball Valve Design
In a floating ball design, the ball moves or floats between the two seats with pressure. The valve is designed to seal against the downstream seat as the ball moves from the upstream side. A slot in the ball enables the ball to move in this way. This type of design is typically used on low pressure valves and also larger sizes depending on the differential pressure and the sealing characteristics required. It is also typical on small high-pressure valves.
Floating ball valves can be manufactured with firesafe capabilities which is normally specified for valves used in Petrochemical and hazardous applications. A metal seat profile is usually incorporated in the body to act as a secondary seat seal in the event of a fire when the soft seat components are destroyed.
Floating ball valves are generally less complex than a trunnion mounted valve design with fewer components, it is therefore usually less expensive.
A variation to a standard floating ball design is a guided design used on larger sizes and low pressures with design features to help support the weight of the ball and improve performance.
Cavity Pressure Considerations
In floating ball valves it’s also important to think about issues that can occur with a build-up of cavity pressure. Valve seats can be designed to allow cavity pressure to pass and equalise with the line pressure. However, some quick expanding gases need special consideration, and it is sometimes recommended to provide a supplementary vent hole in the upstream side of the ball ensuring that cavity pressure cannot build up, this means the valve is uni-directional and is supplied with a flow arrow.
When a floating ball valve is in the open position in some circumstances there can also be a pressure build up in the cavity, a vent hole in the stem slot can be included to equalise the cavity pressure with the line pressure ensuring improved operation, the valve is still bi-directional with this feature.
Hard seats such as peek, nylon or metal in floating ball valves can be problematic as they increase the seat torque making the valve difficult to operate. Design variations are available to reduce these issues by including a flexible seal behind the seat such as a graphite ring, O-Ring, or spring.
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