Abstract: An improved trickle valve is provided which includes a curved tubular body portion terminating at its bottom end with a valve seat. The trickle valve also includes a flapper plate which is pivotably mounted to cover the valve seat when the valve is in the closed position and which swings away from the valve seat when the valve is in the open position. Importantly, the tubular body portion has a predetermined radius of curvatuve sufficient to increase, under conditions of use, the stability of the dipleg solids level over that of trickle valves having a straight run tubular body portion. Indeed, the radius of curvature of the tubular body portion preferably is in the range of from about 11/2 times to 21/2 times the diameter of the tubular body portion.