Fire valves and ordinary valves differ significantly in terms of design, materials, functions, application scenarios and safety levels. The detailed analysis is as follows: 

I. Design Standards and Certifications: Fire protection valves must pass strict certifications, while there are no special requirements for ordinary valves 

Fire valve: It must comply with national or industry mandatory certification standards (such as fire product certification), and be designed with the goal of "zero failure" to ensure reliable operation in extreme conditions such as fires. The manufacturer must hold a fire valve production license and a special valve manufacturing license, and the product must pass rigorous tests such as fire resistance tests and sealing tests. 

Ordinary valves: The design focuses on economy and versatility, meeting basic functional requirements is sufficient. There are no special entry requirements and no need for fire safety certification. 

II. Materials and Weather Resistance: The materials used for fire valves are more resistant to high temperatures and corrosion. 

Fire valve: The main body is made of high-strength cast iron (such as ductile iron), stainless steel or brass, which has excellent corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance; the sealing components (such as rubber diaphragms) must have flame-retardant and anti-aging properties to adapt to the high-temperature environment in a fire scene. 

Ordinary valves: The material selection is cost-oriented, commonly using ordinary cast iron, carbon steel or plastic, with relatively poor weather resistance; the sealing components are mostly ordinary rubber, which is prone to aging and deformation, and have a shorter lifespan. 

III. Function and Performance: Fire valves have emergency attributes, while ordinary valves only meet daily requirements. 

Fire control valve: 

Emergency function: In extreme conditions such as power failure or high temperature, it should automatically shut off or maintain sealing to prevent the spread of fire. For example, the fire control valve adopts an elastic seat sealing design to ensure no leakage during closure. 

Signal feedback: Some fire valves (such as signal butterfly valves) are equipped with microswitches, which can immediately transmit the opening and closing status of the valve to the fire control center. 

Pressure resistance performance: The designed pressure is usually higher than that of ordinary valves to meet the high-pressure requirements of fire protection systems. For instance, the strength test pressure of a fire gate valve is four times the working pressure, and the sealing pressure is twice that; while the strength test pressure of an ordinary gate valve is only 1.5 times the working pressure, and the sealing pressure is 1.1 times that. 

Ordinary valves: They only meet the requirements for flow regulation or shut-off in daily working conditions, without any emergency function requirements. Their performance parameters (such as pressure and temperature range) are relatively low. 

IV. Application Scenarios: Fire valves are specifically designed for fire protection systems, while ordinary valves have a wide range of applications. 

Fire valves: Specifically designed for fire protection systems, such as automatic sprinkler systems, fire water supply networks, fire water tanks, etc. Common types include fire gate valves, fire butterfly valves, wet alarm valves, safety valves, etc. Each type of valve is specifically designed for specific fire protection requirements. 

Common Valves: Widely used in non-fire protection systems in both industrial and civilian sectors, such as water supply and drainage pipelines, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), chemical processes, etc. They come in various types (such as gate valves, globe valves, ball valves), but do not have dedicated fire protection functions. 

V. Safety Level and Regulatory Requirements: The fire valves have a high safety level and are required by regulations to be used with dedicated valves. 

Fire valve: It has a high safety level. The design must take into account the safety of people's lives and property. A malfunction could lead to legal liability. Regulations mandate that the fire system must use dedicated fire valves and it is prohibited to use ordinary valves as a substitute. 

Ordinary valves: Have a relatively low safety level, have a limited scope of impact in case of failure, have no special regulatory restrictions, and offer high flexibility in selection.