From the DMZ to Bonomi: Rick Wentzel’s Valve Legacy

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Oct 20th 2025

In the inaugural episode of the Fully Open podcast, host Gil Welsford sits down with Rick Wentzel of Bonomi North America to explore a career that spans Vietnam, Christmas Eve robberies, and the revol … Read More

Globe Valve vs Ball Valve Comparison Guide | ValveMan

Posted by Russ Bailey on Aug 1st 2025

Valves are widely used in industrial and manufacturing facilities, but they’re also used in utilities, commercial and residential settings. You’ll find valves as close as your home or car, … Read More

NEMA Ratings Explained | ValveMan

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Jul 10th 2025

Have you ever wondered what that little NEMA number on your electric actuator meant? Or perhaps, you’ve seen a 4X stenciled on your valve actuator name plates, without ever realizing that there … Read More

Gate Valve vs Ball Valve Comparison Guide | ValveMan

Posted by Russ Bailey on Jul 1st 2025

Valves are widely used in industrial and manufacturing facilities, but they’re also used in utilities, commercial and residential settings. You’ll find valves as close as your home or car, … Read More

Valve Inspection - Main Points of Valve Inspection and Testing in Manufacturing Settings

Posted by Mark Trainer on May 16th 2025

Industrial facilities rely on different types of valves (such as gate valves, check valves and ball valves) to control fluid flow, which is critical for the successful operation of many manufacturing … Read More

Can Ball Valves Be Used For Flow Control?

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Apr 2nd 2025

Ball valves are widely used in plumbing and piping systems, in fact, they are one of the most common valve types. In case you aren’t familiar with them, a ball valve is a quarter-turn valve with … Read More

Introducing Bonomi Valves

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Apr 2nd 2025

The Bonomi Group is a leader in industrial sectors including oil and gas, hydraulics, heating and energy. Bonomi is a valve and automation specialist, specializing in the production of components to r … Read More

Understanding Valve Actuators: Manual, Electric, Pneumatic and Hydraulic

Posted by Jason Welsford on Mar 10th 2025

Are you a beginner new to the valve world, ready to learn more about the various types of valve actuation options? Perhaps you've come across terms like linear actuators, double acting actuators, sole … Read More

3 Check Valve Mistakes to Avoid

Posted by Jason Welsford on Mar 10th 2025

So, you’re looking for a check valve, but you’re not sure if there’s any pitfalls to look out for? Or perhaps you have a check valve that just wont stop ch...ch...chattering? Worry n … Read More

Types of Valves in Plumbing

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Feb 7th 2025

Have you ever wondered what goes into managing the flow of water in your home, or through a building? It all depends on a critical component found in plumbing — valves. Valves are essential for … Read More

Introducing Apollo Valves

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Feb 4th 2025

Apollo Valves® inventory includes a wide range of valve products supplied to diverse markets. These include residential, commercial and institutional plumbing, as well as industrial sectors such a … Read More

Types of Water Valves

Posted by Russ Bailey on Sep 3rd 2024

We all know that valves play a crucial role in regulating the flow of liquids and gasses in a broad range of applications, from automotive to manufacturing, mining to oil and gas. Something you might … Read More

Understanding Valve Sizes and Measurement

Posted by Jason Welsford on Sep 3rd 2024

Sizing the appropriate valve is critical to ensuring the performance of your system. Whether you're into industrial process piping, utilities, HVAC, or plumbing, it is important that you understand … Read More

Ball Valve Types and Applications

Posted by Mark Trainer on Apr 16th 2024

Ball valves are important components in a vast range of systems, from small family-owned workshops to huge industrial facilities - ball valves are everywhere. However, despite the widespread use of th … Read More

What is a Backflow Preventer, and How Does it Work?

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Apr 16th 2024

When a simple check valve is inadequate for the job, you need a backflow preventer. But knowing you need one and understanding how they work are two different things entirely. Unlike an inline check v … Read More

Understanding valve standards and specifications

Posted by Mark Trainer on Mar 22nd 2024

Hey there, fellow valve enthusiasts! Today, we're looking at valve codes, standards and specifications. Now, I know what you're thinking, this seems like such a 'dry' topic. Believe me, it's anythi … Read More

How to Tell if a Valve is On or Off

Posted by Russ Bailey on Mar 22nd 2024

We’ve all been there —staring at a valve, almost certain you know whether it’s open or closed, but not quite confident enough to act. Maybe it’s a valve type you’ve neve … Read More

Understanding Different Types of Valve Connections and Fittings

Posted by Russ Bailey on Jan 29th 2024

Hey there, fellow valve enthusiasts! We know valves play a crucial role in regulating the flow of liquids and gasses in a broad range of applications. Something you might not know much about are valve … Read More

Types of Valve Handles: Lever and Handwheels

Posted by Mark Trainer on Jan 29th 2024

Whether you're involved in industrial work, plumbing, or you're a DIY enthusiast, you come across valves all the time, which means you come across valve handles too. But how much do you know ab … Read More

The Basic Parts of a Valve

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Jan 29th 2024

Valves quietly work in many different areas, even places you wouldn't expect. They're truly everywhere—power plants, drug factories, chemical plants, water treatment centers, heating and coolin … Read More

Gas Ball Valves In Industrial Applications - 5 Things to Keep in Mind

Posted by Russ Bailey on Jun 21st 2023

Unlike the standard ball valves, most gas ball valves are tested and approved by CSA. These valves are vital for combustible gas service in different industrial applications. They are used in natural … Read More

How To Correctly Use A 3 Way Valve In Different Applications

Posted by Jason Welsford on May 17th 2022

To understand the "T"-port and an "L"-port 3-way valves and what makes them different, it's important first to establish what each of these terms mean. By clearly defining each term, the differ … Read More

Industrial Ball Valves - 9 Questions To Make The Right Choice

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Feb 22nd 2022

Ball valves are versatile flow control devices suitable for extensive industrial applications. They are available in different sizes and designs, making them adaptable to diverse sanitary, petrochemic … Read More

Understanding the Different Types of Valves for Your Application

Posted by Russ Bailey on Dec 20th 2021

In the selection process of valves, you have to take into consideration different factors that are specific for your application. First, you have to know what function you want the valve to perform. W … Read More

What is a Duty Cycle and How Does it Relate to Electric Ball Valves?

Posted by Mark Trainer on Nov 9th 2021

Electric actuation improves the efficiency of processes by maintaining the accuracy of the repetitive opening and closing of the ball valves. Electric actuators are compact and scalable flow co … Read More

Actuated Butterfly Valves 101: All You Need To Know About Their Application In Piping Systems

Posted by Jason Welsford on Aug 10th 2021

Butterfly valves are quarter-turn flow control or isolation devices, used for quick shut-off in piping systems.They have compact and lightweight designs that improve the coefficients of flow, limit … Read More

Practical Guide To Electric and Pneumatic Actuators – Which One To Choose?

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Aug 9th 2021

While electrical and pneumatic actuators have several unique benefits and are preferred in different applications, using the wrong one for your application can have serious consequences. However, choo … Read More

How Do Check Valves Affect Water Pressure in the Piping System?

Posted by Russ Bailey on Jun 25th 2021

Check valves also known as "one-way" valves are autonomously operated unidirectional valves that allow fluid to flow in a singular direction, thus reducing or preventing backflow. They are created wit … Read More

Using an Actuated Ball Valve Or a Solenoid Valve For Best Fluid Control In The System

Posted by Mark Trainer on Apr 8th 2021

Both ball valves and solenoid valves serve a wide variety of applications. From a 3 way ball valve to a gas solenoid valve, one can find them employed anywhere from the domestic t … Read More

What are the types of solenoid valves?

Posted by Jason Welsford on Mar 12th 2021

Favored for offering low power consumption, a compact space envelope, superior speed of operation, and a high cycle life, a solenoid refers to a specific classification of valve that relies o … Read More

What does a double acting actuator do?

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Feb 22nd 2021

To properly convey the function of a double acting valve actuator, one must first cover some background material on actuators as a general category. Whether as a simple linear piston actuator o … Read More

What is the cracking pressure of a check valve?

Posted by Russ Bailey on Jan 11th 2021

Featured image created by fanjianhua - www.freepik.com Check valves, regardless of the individual design, serve the specific purpose of permitting the flow of the service medium in one direct … Read More

Check Valve Types and Applications

Posted by Mark Trainer on Oct 29th 2020

Check valves are essential components in plumbing, industrial, and process systems. These one-way valves allow fluid to flow in a single direction while preventing backflow, protecting pumps, e … Read More

What is the Purpose of a Vented Ball Valve?

Posted by Jason Welsford on Oct 13th 2020

Whether closing off flow to a sink’s supply lines in a home plumbing application, isolating a leg of pipe to service a device in a refinery, or directing the flow of clean steam for sterilization in a … Read More

Top 10 Coolest Valve Applications - Valve Supplier Wholesale Valveman

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on Sep 24th 2020

Our online valve store has been selling valves for over 50+ years but we took some time to think over the years and come up with some of the coolest valve application we have worked on! We hope … Read More

How Does A Floating Piston Valve Work?

Posted by Russ Bailey on Sep 9th 2020

About Floating Piston Valves Floating piston valves, as used in NASA, have several applications. Floating piston valves have a very unique construction. Composed without an … Read More

The Top Three Car Wash Valves to Keep Your Business Moving

Posted by Jason Welsford on May 16th 2017

A Brief History of Car Washes With the modern convenience of today’s automatic car washes, it may be difficult for one to remember what the industry looked like before the world got so high-tech. … Read More

Valves Influencing the Food and Beverage Processing Industry

Posted by Gilbert Welsford, Jr on May 1st 2017

The food and beverage processing industry spans a wide range of categories from milk and dairy to bread and baked goods. With such diversity in an infinite array of process media's, understand … Read More

Why You Should Never Use Direct Mounted Valves During Steam Applications

Posted by Russ Bailey on Apr 6th 2017

While many direct mount ball valves are steam rated, they are not recommended as an actuated valve package in a steam application. The reason for this is rather simple, though not always readily … Read More

Everything You Need to Know About ASME Standards and Certifications

Posted by Mark Trainer on Mar 30th 2017

Everything You Need to Know About ASME Standards and Certifications The acronym ASME stands for, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This fellowship develops codes and stan … Read More

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