How To Keep Your Gas Valves From Failing
Gas valves occasionally fail. There are many reasons why these failures occur and there are steps that business owners can take after their gas valves fail to correct the problem.
Why Valves Fail
The elastomers and seat seals fail over time. You may also be operating at temperatures that are outside the parameters that the valve was designed to operate under, which can lead the valve wearing down. Foreign and abrasive materials can sometimes find their way into the pipeline an cause the valves to wear out.
Water or foreign materials might make their way into the airline and cause a pneumatic actuator failure. Also, the valve might have been incorrectly assembled, installed or maintained. When any of these problems emerge, your facility might experience a gas leak that you'll have to solve.
The Importance of a Good Ball Valve
One of the best ways to prevent a gas valve failure is to use a Cameron Orbit rising stem ball valve. These types of valves use a tilt-and-turn operation that is designed to stop seal rubbing. This leads to low-torque valve operations and much more reliable performance.
Once the ball valve has been closed, a core wedges tightly against a seat, which shuts off the valve. When the valve opens, the core tilts away and localized high-velocity flow becomes impossible. The core can then rotate to a fully open position.
Responding to a Failing Ball Valve
When a valve fails, you will want to locate the valve and troubleshoot to determine what the cause of the faulty valve is. Make sure to have the spare parts available before you start repairing the valve. Then, remove the valve from the piping. Follow the electrical disconnection and lockout tagout procedures.
Follow the procedures for disassembly and tagout. Reinstall the valve into the piping and make sure that there is correct air and electrical connections. Actuate the valve and test it to make sure that it is functioning properly. Monitor the valve to make sure that it is functioning properly.
To make sure that your valve does not fail, make sure to follow the proper maintenance procedures regularly and make sure that parts that often fail are removed before they have a chance to fail. The best way to properly maintain your valves is to follow the instruction manual that comes with the valves. But when you do this, your system will be much less likely to fail.