Collection:3-Way PVC Electric Ball Valves

Explore Tameson’s wide range of 3-way PVC electric ball valves from various global manufacturers. 3-way electric ball valves, also called 3-way motorized ball valves, are used to control the flow of a media (liquid or gas) by means of a rotating ball with a bore. The rotating ball is controlled by an electric actuator that connects directly to the ball valve stem, rotating it a quarter turn. A 3-way PVC electric ball valve can be broken down into two main components, namely, the electric actuator (servo motor) and the ball valve. A 3-way ball valve has three ports. They are available in two design types: L-port and T-port. This refers to the bore design in the ball, which is the media flow path.

With a 3-way ball valve T-port or L-port, it is possible to mix, distribute, or divert the media flow. A 3-way T-port valve can be used for mixing media from two inlets into a single outlet or for distributing one inlet to two outlets. The 3-way L-port ball valve is designed for flow direction control. The L-port valve has a 90 degree bore inside of the ball, hence the name L-port. An example of an application is to have two inputs from separate tanks and one output, and you want to only use one of the inputs but always the one output. It is important to know your bore design to ensure your desired media flow, as the ports can be in different positions. The pressure inlet for 3-way ball valves is typically on the center borehole to avoid leakage unless defined otherwise in the product specifications. These motorized 3-way ball valves can be controlled remotely to switch between the circuits. If electrical voltage is already available, a 3-way control valve is a good investment to automate the process.

PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is a plastic material that is lightweight, strong, and durable, giving it long service life. The PVC housing makes the ball valve ideal for automated flow control of contaminated water or corrosive media, such as chloride solutions (seawater or swimming pools). Besides that, PVC is resistant to many corrosive media, salt solutions, acids and bases, and solvents. However, PVC should not be used for aromatic or chlorinated hydrocarbon media applications.

A 3-way plastic ball valve is often a cost-effective alternative to a metal housing (brass or stainless steel) as long as it is resistant to the media and the pressure/temperature range is suitable for PVC. The temperature range of the material ranges from -15 to 60 degreeC (5 to 140 degreeF), and it has a lower pressure rating when compared to a brass or stainless steel housing.