Which Is Better, A Side-entry Ball Valve Or A Top-entry Ball Valve?

Side-in and top-in ball valves have their pros and cons. How to choose depends on specific conditions of use. Here's a look at their structural characteristics, installation and maintenance, and application:
I. Structural Characteristics and Sealing Performance
Side-entry Ball Valve
Structure: The sphere is inserted from the side of the valve. Available in all-in-one, two-in-one and three-in-one designs.
Features: Low flow rate, low cost, suitable for low pressure, small diameter applications.
Two-piece set: high pressure resistance, high flow rate, suitable for medium and high pressure applications.
Three-piece package: Add a valve body between the ball and flange for easy installation and support of various connection methods (e.g. welding and threading). Suitable for frequent unpacking.
Sealing Performance: Side stop-ball valves (such as EMMECI API) have soft or metal seats and are equipped with an automatic unloading seat design to prevent media leakage. However, installation accuracy has a great impact on its sealing performance.
Eccentric lateral ball valve reduces friction through line contact sealing, making it suitable for high-pressure, high-viscosity fluids. However, when the seal fails, it requires to be replaced in time.
Head ball valve
Structure: The sphere is inserted from the top of the valve body and is usually a single piece with a compact structure and fewer leakage points.
Sealing performance: Equipped with a a dual sealing system (such as metal seats + elastic seals) to ensure a tight seal even under extreme pressure, suitable for high temperature, high pressure or corrosive media.
Retractable seat technology facilitates online maintenance and reduces downtime.
ii. Easy to install and maintain.
Side-entry ball valves
Installation: Three-piece package designed to support flange, weld, thread, etc., especially for pipes requiring welding (to avoid damaging internal components).
Repair: Single/ double valves need to be completely removed, resulting in higher maintenance costs.
Three-piece valves can be removed to facilitate the replacement of spheres or seats, but special tools are required.
Head ball valve
Installation: Single disc body design ensures that body is coaxial with piping during installation and requires high installation precision. Repair: No valve removal is required when replacing spheres or seats, greatly reducing downtime.
Suitable for underground pipelines or spatially restricted applications (e.g. offshore platforms).
III. Comparison of applications
Side-entry Ball Valves
Advantageous Scenarios:
Pipes requiring frequent disassembly and assembly (e.g. modular equipment in chemical processes).
Welding connection requirements (to avoid damage to internal components).
Cost-sensitive items (lower price per valve).
Typical application:
Long-distance oil and gas pipelines (e.g., side-entry trunnion ball valves).
Multi-port ball valves in chemical process (because the ball is larger, side entry is more convenient).
Top-entry Ball Valves
Advantageous Scenarios:
High-pressure, high-temperature, or corrosive media (e.g., nuclear power, power industry).
Underground pipelines or spatially restricted applications (e.g. subsea pipelines).
Scenarios requiring rapid maintenance (e.g., oil and gas field gathering and transportation systems).
Typical application: VOSC Valbart top-entry ball valves (used in petrochemical and power industries).
Cryogenic top-entry ball valves (e.g. LNG terminal, gas filling stations).
IV. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Selection Recommendations
It is best to choose the case of the side entry valve:
Pipes require to be welded together and the risk of internal component burnout cannot be tolerated.
Budget is limited, operating condition pressure is small, diameter is small.
Flexible connection methods (such as threaded connections, quick connections) are required.
Top Ball entry valve:
Operating conditions involve high pressure, high temperature or corrosive media.
Frequent online maintenance is required and downtime costs is costly.
Limited pipeline space (e.g., underground pipelines, offshore platforms).