American 4000 Ball Valves VS Traditional Gate Valves

Do you have trouble with gate valves leaking and are tired of expensive, long repair times? Consider American 4000 series Flanged Ball Valves. Available with 3 different body materials (cast iron, ductile iron and stainless steel), the 4000 series ball valves are specifically designed to replace any traditional gate valve.

Often difficult to open and close, traditional gate valves sometimes even require a cheater bar to open. American 4000 Ball Valves offer quarter turn for instant shutoff. The removable handle, which is made of A53 SCH40 pipe, even shows whether it is open or closed, and can be locked in either position.

Traditional gate valves leak by design due to their Class IV shut-off. Their discs and seat rings, often made of weaker bronze, are constantly exposed to both wear and debris. American 4000 Series Valves offer a Class VI positive shut-off and offer a blow-out proof stainless steel stem and reinforced PTFE seats for added durability. It even has a zero wear-rate in the open position.

American 4000 Ball Valves are full port (through 6”) offering a full, unobstructed opening for superior flow rate. However, throttling is also permitted - open and shut are not the only working positions. With the low operating torque and ISO standard mounting pad, automation is easy.

Lighter than gate valves, American 4000 series Ball Vales are easy to install and handle. Their compact design fits easily into tight space. Designed to conform to ANSI Standard B16.10 specs, American 4000 series valves match end-to-end dimensions of all cast iron and ductile iron gate valves as well as cast iron plug valves and carbon steel ball valves. The low profile design makes storage and shipping easier.

A critical advantage of American 4000 series ball valves over traditional gates valves is the PFA-fused ball. PFA, commonly branded as Teflon, is impregnated into the solid metal, meaning it can’t wear, chip or flake off. The PFA makes the ball more corrosion-resistant, inhibiting the building up of lime, calcium, and sludge that typically accumulates and causes premature failure of the valve seats. The ball wipes clean during opening and closing, extending the life of the 4000 series valves up to 10x longer than valves with unprotected ball surfaces.

American’s 4000 Series Ball Valves can be used in a wide range of applications and industries, including but not limited to:

• Industrial: Plumbing, HVAC, Airlines, Green Infrastructure, Plant Utilities and Power Plants, High-Rise Building Booster Pumps, Food Processing, Mining, Storage, and Distribution, Lead and VOC-free Materials, Force Mains, Lift Stations, Storage, Loading and Distribution
• Water Treatment: Wastewater Plants, Waste & Vent (DWV) Lines, Drain Lines, WWTP Digestor Aerators, Sludge Processing
• Irrigation: Water Main Shutoff, Agriculture, such as Citrus Groves and Farm Fields, Golf Courses, Public Parks and Sport Facilities, Drain Lines
• Gas: Natural Gas Meter Sets, Propane Gas Storage and Distribution, Biodiesel & Ethanol Production, Methane Gas, Drain Lines, Gathering, Petroleum Blending, Chemical Feed Lines