Butterfly valves provide bi-directional dead-end service in commercial and industrial service. To make your selection easier, I-FLOW offers specification and submittal assistance. You also get the assurance of the I-FLOW warranty, along with superior customer service expertise. Choose I-FLOW for:

. Wafer lug or grooved end connections

. Press-to-connect ends selection

. Broad range of sizes

. Lug or wafer types

. Ductile iron, cast iron, CPVC materials

. Lead-free* selection

. Fire protection selection

. High performance selection

. Keep reading for information on selecting the right butterfly valve for your next project.

Operating Life

Butterfly valves can provide many maintenance-free cycles and still accommodate "bubble tight" shut-off.

Pressure Drop

Energy costs go up with excessive pressure drop. The valve or valves are but one factor in a piping system that contributes to pressure drop. Of equal concern are these factors:

. Flow area of piping.

. Friction loss against pipe walls.

. Change of flow direction via fittings

. Butterfly valves have flow characteristics three times better than globe valves and approximately 75% of an equivalent size gate valve.

Versatility

Butterfly valves can be used for on/off service and throttling/balancing. They are superior in "versatility" as compared to a gate or globe valve. Butterfly valves have a wider range of chemical resistance due to the trim options and choice of elastomeric liners.

Weight

Installation dollars saved with lightweight butterfly valves as compared to heavyweight cast iron valves; i.e. a 10" butterfly may weight 55 pounds, whereas a 10" iron gate may weigh 490 pounds. This can be an important savings when it is calculated over an entire system. The heavier the system, the stronger the pipe hangers, and the more expensive they become. So, by considering the weight of a valve one can also reduce piping system costs.

Physical Size

Butterfly valves take up approximately 1/6 the space of a gate valve. Every cubic foot of a building costs money. 

I.E.: 10" butterfly is about 21" high and a 10" iron gate is about 43" high. 

Bubble Tight Shut-Off

Gate and globe (metal to metal) seats cannot provide bubble tight shut-off. Resilient seated butterfly valves are bubble tight by design.

Ease of Operation

Butterfly valves offer 1/4" turn (90 degrees) open to close. Gates and globes require multiple turns to open and close. Ease of opening or closing means that butterfly valves can employ less expensive operators. 

Cost

A butterfly valve is generally 40% the cost of an iron gate valve, not only in low initial costs, but in low installation costs as well.

Maintenance

Properly installed butterfly valves are virtually self cleaning and are less susceptible to failure due to trash material in the line.