Search
John Brady
John Brady

John Brady owns Standard of New England with his wife, Julie. He started the business in 1996 when the opportunity to purchase a failing company and turn it around presented itself. First learning about piping systems on board U.S. Coast Guard Cutters, and then at a very well-respected supplier in the Boston area, John jumped into his new business ready to learn and grow. He enjoys sharing what he has learned over the years with engineering teams, estimators, maintenance managers, pipe fitters, procurement departments, and project managers across a wide range of industries in need of complex, high-energy piping systems. Born in Boston, John now lives in the beautiful Seacoast region of New Hampshire with Julie and their three dogs: Rosalie, Emma, and Jasmine.

Gate Valves

Obtaining reliable flow control in industrial applications is challenging. One solution to consider is the gate valve. Gate valves control flow with a wedge or disc that lifts in and out of the flow path.  As with any valve, there are pros and cons to its design and use. Reference the following chart and additional information when considering a gate for your process:

Gate Valve
Pros
Gate Valve
Cons
Low-Flow Resistance when Open
Not Good for Throttling or Regulating
Short end-to-end Dimension
Slow to Open/Close
Relatively Low Cost
Seats Exposed to Fluids
Good for Liquids & Slurries
Subject to Excessive Seat & Disk Wear
Dual Flow Direction
Height Restrictions to Open/Close
Wide Range of Applications
Weighs more than others valves in similar applications
Easy Proactive Maintenance
Low Torque Needed for Operation

Common Gate Valve Choices
Of course, the gate valve can only be considered a reliable choice for your application when the correct features and materials are selected. There are several types of gate valves available, three common choices being Parallel-Slide, Wedge Style, and Knife Gates:

  1. Parallel-Slide Gate Valves have two disks that form the gate. When closed they are forced out against seats to form a tight seal. Parallel Slide Gate Valves are typically used in high-temperature, high-pressure applications.
  2. Wedge Style Gate Valves use a wedge-shaped disk that allows for a tight shut-off. The Wedge can be solid, split, or flexible to meet your application needs. Wedge Style Gate Valves are ubiquitous in industrial applications.
  3. Knife Gate Valves have a single sliding gate with a beveled edge like a knife. Knife Gates are typically used for slurries, solids, and waterworks applications.
Forged Steel Gate Valve Cut Away
Pressure Seal Bonnet Gate Valve Cut Away
Knife Gate Valve

Stems
Gate valves can have either a rising stem or a non-rising stem. The stem’s function is to move the gate in and out of the flow path:

  • In a Rising Stem Gate Valve, the stem will rise out of the valve giving a clear indication that the valve is open or closed. The external threads allow for ease of lubrication but consideration must also be taken to protect the exposed threads.
  • A Non-Rising Stem Gate Valve will thread the wedge up onto the stem. This is a great option when overhead space is limited. With this design, it is not possible to determine if the gate is in the open or closed position.

Seats
Choosing the right seat material in any valve can make all the difference:

  • A Metal Seated Gate Valve has an angular depression in the base where the wedge seats metal-to-metal for a tight closure.
  • Resilient Seated Gate Valves have a flat bottom within the valve cavity that allows fluid to pass through without disruption and an elastomer material to seat against.
Bellows-Sealed Gate Valves
Pressure Seal Bonnet Gate Valve

Bonnets
The bonnet is a cover that fastens to the valve body to complete the pressure seal. In some cases, a manufacturer will offer an integral or bonnet-less option in which the bonnet and body are one piece. Standard Bonnets for gate valves have various designs to satisfy different application needs including,  Union, Bolted, Welded, Pressure-Seal, and Bellows-Sealed:

  1. Union Bonnets are common with smaller gate valves, particularly sizes 2-in and down. The Bonnet consists of threads on the body side and a nut that is threaded on to seal the valve.
  2. Bolted Bonnets are commonly used for industrial applications. The valve bonnet is bolted like a flange to the body of the valve with a gasket seal.
  3. Welded Bonnet is another common design for industrial applications but without the weight of the bolted bonnet. However, the welded bonnet negates the ability to repair the valve.
  4. Pressure-Seal Bonnets are used in high-pressure, high-temperature applications to seal the body cavity and stem. As the pressure in the body rises, the pressure seal disc load increases and seals the gasket for a lower potential of leakage.
  5. Bellows-Sealed Bonnets are used in applications that have critical leak prevention requirements. A bellows is welded to both the valve bonnet and the valve stem causing the convolutions on the bellows to expand and compress with the movement of the stem.

Summary
With its relatively simple design, minimal fluid resistance, and energy-efficient open/close functionality, it is no wonder the gate valve is a popular choice.

Standard of New England is standing by, ready to help with your valve selection. Call our knowledgeable sales team today to review your options and request a quote.

More to explore

domestic material

What is Domestic Material?

Everyone, it seems, is talking about buying domestic. It’s a common request from our customers. But what does it really mean? Working

Ball Valve Classifications

Ball Valve Classifications

ball valve classifications The popular quarter-turn ball valve deserves a deep dive. It has a variety of features that can expand its

Standard of New England, LLC

Standard of New England is an independent wholesale distributor, in operation since 1996. We are small enough to be responsive to our customers’ needs and big enough to deliver what our customers want when they want it.  Our specialty is in industrial piping products, but we can also provide much more.  We are proud to have local, national, and international customers who come back to us time and time again because of our industrial knowledge and personal customer service.  

We offer a wide range of products including: PipeValvesFittingsFlangesMetal & Fabric Expansion JointsIndustrial DampersRubber Expansion JointsMetal Flex ConnectorsEngineered Plastics, PolypropyleneFusion ToolsHardwareGaskets and More. These products are available in a range of Metals & Materials to meet all your industrial application needs.

Contact us today!  

WHILE OTHERS STRIVE TO BE THE BIGGEST, WE STRIVE TO BE THE BEST – STANDARD OF NEW ENGLAND, LLC