Flow Control Valve 2025 Guide: Types, Cv Calculation, Applications and Selection Checklist

What Is a Flow Control Valve?

A flow control valve broadly refers to any valve used to achieve a target flow rate, pressure drop, or flow direction in a system. In waterworks, HVAC, and general industry, this typically includes:

  ● Gate valves – for on/off isolation with full bore and low head loss;

  ● Butterfly valves – for quarter-turn operation, low torque, and coarse throttling;

  ● Check valves / non return valves – for backflow prevention and water hammer control.

Together, these three valve types make up the core of industrial flow control valves used worldwide.

Quick Picks – How to Choose the Right Flow Control Valve in 30 Seconds

Product Focus: Three Essential Flow Control Valve Types

A. Gate Valve — BS 5163 Resilient Seated Gate Valve

  ● Ideal for: On/off isolation, full-bore design, buried or potable-water service.
  ● Key specs: Ductile-iron body, EPDM seat, FBE coating, PN16 / PN25, DN80–DN600.
  ● Advantages: Minimal pressure loss, reliable sealing, long service life.
  ● Limitations: Multi-turn operation, not for throttling.
  ● Popular searches: “BS 5163 gate valve DN100 DN300”, “resilient seated gate valve for drinking water”, “PN16 gate valve full bore”.

B. Butterfly Valve — API 609 Wafer / Lug Butterfly Valve

  ● Ideal for: Large-diameter pipelines needing compact, lightweight valves with low torque.
  ● Key specs: Quarter-turn operation, manual gear, electric actuator, or pneumatic actuator.
  ● Benefits: Cost-effective for DN≥200, small envelope, easy automation.
  ● Notes: For throttling up to 30–60 % open; verify disc clearance per API 609.
  ● Popular searches: “wafer butterfly valve PN16 DN200 low torque”, “API 609 Category A vs B”, “butterfly valve for HVAC chilled water”.

C. Check Valve / Non Return Valve — Wafer Check Valve

  ● Ideal for: Pump discharge and network backflow prevention.
  ● Key specs: Spring-assisted or silent closing for water hammer reduction, compact wafer body, PN16 / PN25.
  ● Selection points: Cracking pressure, closing time, installation direction (horizontal / vertical).
  ● Popular searches: “non return valve for pump discharge”, “wafer spring check valve vertical line”, “low headloss check valve PN16”.

Materials & Compliance for Reliable Flow Control Valves

  ● Body: Ductile iron + FBE coating for corrosion protection

  ● Seat/Liner: EPDM (drinking water), NBR (oily media), FKM (high temp)

  ● Standards: BS 5163 (gate valve), API 609 (butterfly valve), EN 1074 / EN 12266 (test)

  ● Drinking water certification: NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 & 372

These attributes boost search visibility for “flow control valve for drinking water” and build engineering trust.

Buying Checklist – RFQ Template for Flow Control Valve Selection

  ● Service medium: water / seawater / glycol ( %)

  ● Function: isolation (gate valve) / throttling (butterfly valve) / non-return (check valve)

  ● Actuation: handwheel / gear / electric actuator (on/off or modulating – 4–20 mA / Modbus) / pneumatic actuator (fail-safe)

  ● Materials: ductile iron + FBE, EPDM/NBR/FKM seats

  ● Compliance: BS 5163 / API 609 / EN 1074 / EN 12266 / NSF/ANSI/CAN 61

  ● Check-specific: cracking pressure, closure time, orientation (horizontal/vertical)

  ● Documents: G.A. drawing, pressure test report, IOM, material list

FAQ (Rich-Snippet Optimized with “Flow Control Valve” Keywords)

Q1 – Can a butterfly valve be used as a flow control valve?
Yes. An API 609 wafer butterfly valve PN16 is widely used as a flow control valve for water or HVAC systems for coarse throttling. For fine regulation, use a control valve, but most systems achieve adequate flow control with butterfly valves.

Q2 – When should I choose a gate valve as my flow control valve?
When low pressure loss and tight isolation are key. A BS 5163 gate valve PN16 / PN25 offers full-bore design and resilient sealing — perfect as a flow control valve for waterworks main lines.

Q3 – Which flow control valve prevents water hammer?
A check valve / non return valve, especially wafer spring or silent types, helps absorb surge and reduce water hammer in pump discharge lines.

Q4 – How do I start flow control valve sizing?
Use the Cv calculation formula, adjust for ΔP and velocity, then choose the proper gate / butterfly / check valve and pressure rating.