2021-04-09 00:00:00
It depends on the application. A ball valve is better suited for smaller flow rates, anything requiring more than 2 ports, or for durability/sealing concerns. A gate valve is typically cheaper, better for higher flow rates, and requires a smaller installation space.
The main difference is in the operation. A gate valve moves a solid disk up and down to open/close the orifice. A ball valve rotates a ball (the orifice) with a bore in it 90 degrees to open/close the valve.
A gate valve is ideal for applications that have slurries, large flow rates, cost sensitive, and for shut off purposes.
A ball valve is used to control the flow and is typically used as a shut off valve.