Are high-pressure metal seated ball valves easy to repair in-line?

Short answer: Not usually.

• Design: Metal seated ball valves are engineered for severe service — abrasive media, high pressure, and high temperature. Their hard-faced sealing surfaces provide durability, but also make field re-machining or reseating extremely challenging.

• In-line repair challenges: Unlike soft-seated ball valves, metal seated designs typically require precision grinding, lapping, or specialized equipment — work that can’t usually be done while the valve is still in the line.

• Common practice: Most high-pressure metal seated ball valves must be removed and sent to a qualified repair facility or OEM service center for proper refurbishment.

Customer takeaway:

If uptime is critical, plan on having a spare valve available. In-line maintenance is usually limited to replacing seals or actuators; full seat and ball repairs generally require shop-level expertise — for example, through International Valve & Instrument.

The exception:

Conval’s Metal Seated Ball Valve is the only valve on the market that can be repaired in-line. Its top-entry design allows complete repair in less than an hour — a major advantage for reducing downtime and maintenance costs.