Balanced activation force and bistable valve system and method

An assembly comprising:

• a valve assembly comprising a flow control side and a metering side, the flow control side comprising valve separating a lower chamber and an upper chamber, the valve configured and arranged to control fluid flow between the flow control side and the metering side, and
• wherein the metering side comprises:
• at least one metering seal comprising a main channel, the main channel including regions with a first diameter and regions with at least a second diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the second diameter;
• a stem positioned in the at least one metering seal extending from at least a first end of the at least one metering seal to a second end of the at least one metering seal, the stem comprising a fluted section positioned between two non-fluted sections, wherein the diameter of stem in the fluted section is smaller than the diameter of the stem in the non-fluted sections;
• and
• first and second flow channels extending across at least a partial width of the at least one metering seal, the first flow channel positioned at or near the first end of the at least one metering seal, and the second flow channel positioned at or near the second end of the at least one metering seal.