Severe service ball valves take a beating, no matter your application. This often means they experience more wear and tear than valves in other applications. Therefore, you may need more frequent repairs and reconditioning to help avoid downtime and high costs associated with failures and replacements. Reconditioning can take place for repairs or as part of preventative maintenance.
Valve reconditioning is essentially where professionals restore older valves to their original condition. This involves taking the valves apart and inspecting each component. Reusable parts are typically cleaned and polished while metallic components with minor damage are repaired either through machining or thermal spray coatings. Soft parts like gaskets and parts with major damage are typically scrapped and replaced. This can help return a high performance ball valve to like-new condition.
Signs You Need Reconditioning for Severe Service Ball Valves
There are several signs that you might need reconditioning for valve repair. Keeping an eye out for early warning signs can help you avoid unexpected downtime and schedule reconditioning.
Internal leaks are leaks that go above the valve’s maximum allowable leakage rating. In many cases this can indicate wear and tear or minor damage to internal components.
External leaks are often more concerning. External leaks on severe service ball valves often indicate improper maintenance. They may also occur when utilizing a valve not suited to the application. Before reconditioning, make sure the valve is right for the application. After, make sure you follow preventative maintenance best practices.
If valves suddenly become noisy, this can also point to valve damage that needs repair or reconditioning.
Extending the Life of Your Ball Valves
Reconditioning is a way to help make valves last longer. However, you can also extend the life of ball valves between reconditioning and repair services by taking certain actions.
First, ensure you are using the right valve for the job. In severe applications, you often need a metal seated ball valve, as elastomer seats may wear down faster and may not be rated for high temperatures and pressures. It’s also important to choose the right size of ball valve, as undersizing and oversizing can cause early failure.
In addition, it’s important to take part in regular maintenance. Servicing ball valves during planned shutdowns can help keep valves in good repair and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime from valve failure. You can also plan reconditioning services for severe service ball valves ahead of time based on expected life cycles so you can restore valves before wear and tear can cause any problems.
Need a High Performance Ball Valve? Our Team at Copeland Valve is Here to Help
Our team at Copeland Valve specializes in ball valves for severe and critical service applications. We design, engineer, and manufacture ball valves for a wide range of industries. Whether you need custom valves or reconditioning services, our team at Copeland Valve has solutions for you. We’ve been providing high quality valves since 1940 and offer fast turnaround and fair pricing for your ball valve needs. Get in touch today for a quote!