Ball valves refer to the valves that use a pivoting as well as a hollow and perforated ball that maintains and controls the flow of fluids. The valve opens when the hole is in line with the flow of the fluid and closes at the time of being pivoted up to 90 degrees by the valve handle. These valves can be made of several materials including brass, copper, cast iron, polyvinylchloride (PVC), chromium, ceramic etc.

Nowadays, stainless steel ball valves are extensively used for domestic water or gas lines for their durability and several other properties. As there are several stainless steel valve suppliers available in the market offering valves with different ball numbers and features, choosing the right valve can become a little tricky at times. Here, some factors are given that you can consider for making the right selection of a stainless steel valve:

1. The pressure of the fluid: Valves are manufactured for controlling the flow of certain fluids through them. As a result, they are often subject to immense fluid pressure. That is why; it is important to judge the quality and grade of the steel to make sure that it would be able to sustain under such pressure.
2. The range of temperature: Different variants of stainless steel can sustain under different temperature ranges. So at the time of purchasing, you should keep in mind the approximate temperature of the fluid passing through these valves. It is safer to choose valves with higher temperature ranges.
3. The volume of the liquid: At the time of buying, the volume of the fluid should be kept in mind as it plays a significant role in determining the size of the ball valve as well as its type (1-piece or 3-piece).
4. Installation and maintenance cost: It is important to choose a valve that comes with a reasonable installation cost. Also, depending on the quality of the material and its durability, the maintenance cost of valves varies significantly.

Choosing the right stainless steel valve can come with numerous advantageous properties. Some of them are:

1. Efficiency: Steel valves are nearly impenetrable and consequently they provide the lowest leakage rate. Because of this low leakage rate, stainless steel ball valves are capable of offering the maximum efficiency in controlling the flow of a certain fluid.
2. Strength and resilience:Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and is chemically inert. As a result, stainless steel valves show incredible resistance and strength as they can successfully withstand subtle changes in weather and fluid of a considerable volume. Also, steel has higher tensile strength in comparison with other materials like ceramic and hence they are not susceptible to damage.
3. Longevity: Because of the resilient nature of stainless steel, these valves last for a considerably long time. They are impervious to moist weather conditions and they do not rust.
4. Cost-effectiveness: As these valves last for a long time, the maintenance cost of them is also fairly low.

To sum up, stainless steel ball valves are an integral part of constructing or renovating gas or water lines because of their inherent properties.