About Ball Valves:
Ball valves are a type of quarter turn valve, a class of valves that are controlled manually by turning a handle 90 degrees. There are many types of ball valves, including three-way, four-way, top entry, welded, single body, three-piece body, and split body.
The characteristic which distinguishes ball valves from other quarter turn valves is the spherical disc, appropriately called the “ball,” located inside the ball valve. The ball has a hole, or port, in the middle. The hole is aligned to allow fluid to pass when the handle of the valve is turned on. Likewise, the ball prevents flow when the ball valve handle is turned to the off position
