Control valve and actuator symbols
An actuated valve is a valve body with an actuator drawn on its stem. The actuator symbol tells you how the valve is moved: a dome for a pneumatic diaphragm, a box for a piston, M for an electric motor, S for a solenoid.
- Control valveA control valve changes its opening continuously to hold a process variable such as flow, pressure, level or temperature at its set point, on a signal from a controller.
- Motor operated valveA motor operated valve is opened and closed by an electric motor actuator, from the control system or a local push button.
- Solenoid valveA solenoid valve is opened or closed by an electromagnetic coil.
- Piston actuated valveA piston actuated valve is moved by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.
- Hand operated valveA hand operated valve is opened and closed manually with a handwheel, lever or gear.
- Pressure regulatorA pressure regulator holds downstream (or upstream) pressure without any controller or external power.
- Shutdown valveA shutdown valve closes automatically to isolate a section of plant when the safety system trips.
Control and actuated valves in ISO 10628-2
About ISO 10628-2The valve body underneath follows the normal valve symbols. The tag bubble next to the valve tells you what it controls: FV for flow, PV for pressure, LV for level, TV for temperature, XV for an on/off shutdown valve.
The cards at the top use the forms of US legend sheets (ISA 5.1). The grids below them show the same symbols as ISO 10628-2 or IEC 62424 draw them. See ISA vs ISO P&ID symbols for the differences.
Frequently asked questions
What are control valve and actuator symbols on a P&ID?
An actuated valve is a valve body with an actuator drawn on its stem. The actuator symbol tells you how the valve is moved: a dome for a pneumatic diaphragm, a box for a piston, M for an electric motor, S for a solenoid.
How many control valve and actuator symbols are there?
This legend covers the 7 most common ones: control valve, motor operated valve, solenoid valve, piston actuated valve, hand operated valve, pressure regulator, shutdown valve. Project legends may add company-specific variants.
Can I download these symbols?
Yes. Each symbol page has a free SVG and PNG, and the whole legend is available as a printable PDF chart on the P&ID symbols page.