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Gate valve vs globe valve symbol — when do I use which on a P&ID?

Standards @pauserranoAdvanced4633 viewsEnglish
On our P&IDs I see two very similar valve symbols: the plain bow-tie (two triangles) and the same bow-tie with a small filled circle in the middle. I've been treating them as interchangeable but a reviewer flagged it.

What's the actual difference between the gate and globe valve symbols, and how do I decide which one belongs on a given line?

1 answer

They're not interchangeable — the symbol tells the reader the valve's function, which drives maintenance and operating expectations.

The plain bow-tie (two solid triangles meeting at a point) is the generic gate valve. Gate valves are for isolation: fully open or fully closed. They have low pressure drop when open but throttle badly and wear if you park them half-open. Use the gate symbol on block/isolation service where the valve is normally hard open or hard shut.

The bow-tie with a filled circle at the seat is the globe valve. Globe valves are built for throttling and modulating flow: good control resolution, higher pressure drop by design. Use the globe symbol on regulating/control service and on manual throttling points. Most control valves (with an actuator on top) are drawn on a globe body for this reason.

So the rule of thumb: isolation line -> gate; anything you intend to regulate -> globe. Getting the body right also tells the next engineer why the dP across that valve is high on purpose. More valve bodies and actuator conventions here: /learn/valve-symbols.html
@pauserranoAdvanced463 Accepted answer

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