Commercial Ball Valve System Guide — Apollo
Ball valves are the primary isolation device in commercial, institutional, and industrial piping systems. Selecting the right Apollo ball valve for each system — by material, connection type, pressure rating, and certification — is the difference between a system that runs for 20 years and one that generates callbacks. This guide maps Apollo ball valve series to the most common commercial piping systems.
Commercial Plumbing System
Recommended Series: Apollo 70-100 Series bronze ball valve (threaded) or Apollo 77W/77V ApolloPress ball valve (press-fit).
- Full port, 600 WOG — exceeds commercial plumbing system requirements
- NSF/ANSI 61 and 372 certified — required for potable water contact in most US jurisdictions
- Made in USA, BAA/BABA compliant — for institutional and public projects
- Use threaded (70-100) for threaded pipe systems, press-fit (77W) for copper press systems
→ Shop Apollo Bronze Ball Valves
HVAC Hydronic System
Recommended Series: Apollo 70-100 (threaded), 77W (copper press), 89FV PowerPress (carbon steel press), or 83/86 Series (3-piece industrial).
- Chilled water, hot water, condenser water — 70-100 or 77W on copper systems, 89FV on carbon steel press systems
- Mechanical room isolation on larger CS piping — 83 Series 3-piece threaded or flanged
- Air handler and coil isolation — 70-100 or 77W at equipment connections
- Full port valves preferred to minimize pressure drop through isolation valves
Industrial Process System
Recommended Series: Apollo 83 (carbon steel), 86 (stainless steel), 87A/88A (flanged), based on media and pressure requirements.
- Carbon steel process piping — 83 Series, threaded or socket weld, 1,000 WOG
- Stainless steel process piping — 86 Series, 316 SS, 1,000 WOG
- Flanged isolation on large-bore piping — 87A (CS flanged) or 88A (SS flanged)
- High-temperature steam service — 83/86 Series with graphite packing
- Verify media compatibility with seat and seal materials before specifying
→ Shop Apollo Industrial Ball Valves
Gas Service System
Recommended Series: Apollo 90-100 Series (unibody, UL listed for gas) or Apollo 89FVH PowerPress (HNBR seal, press-fit, gas listed).
- Apollo 90-100 is UL listed for fuel gas and inert gas service — compact unibody design
- Apollo 89FVH PowerPress with black HNBR ring — for gas on carbon steel press systems
- Never use standard EPDM-seat ball valves on gas service — requires gas-listed valve
- Verify local code requirements — some jurisdictions require specific valve types for gas shutoffs
System Design Tips
- Full port everywhere you can. Pressure drop through a reduced-port valve adds up across a system. Use full port unless space requires otherwise.
- Provide isolation at every major piece of equipment. Air handlers, pumps, heat exchangers, water heaters — each needs upstream and downstream isolation.
- Install unions adjacent to valves. Union connections allow valve removal without cutting pipe. Critical on 1" and smaller threaded systems.
- Tag all valves. Install valve tags keyed to the P&ID. Saves hours during maintenance and emergencies.
- Size valve actuators correctly. If adding electric or pneumatic actuators to Apollo 83/86 series, verify torque ratings match the actuator output at system operating pressure.
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