To ensure stable ball valve performance and a longer lifespan
Stainless steel ball valves are a widely used general-purpose valve, used in large quantities and worn out quickly. Therefore, proper maintenance can not only improve work efficiency but also reduce repair time and save replacement costs.
To ensure stable performance and a long service life of ball valves, the following factors should be noted:
1. Before use, flush the pipeline and the flow parts of the valve body with water to prevent residual iron filings and other debris from entering the valve body cavity.
2. Even when closed, a portion of the medium remains inside the stainless steel ball valve, and it is under pressure. Before inspecting the ball valve, first close the shut-off valve before the ball valve, then open the ball valve to be inspected to completely release the internal pressure of the valve body. For electric or pneumatic ball valves, the power and air supply should be disconnected first.
3. Generally, soft-seal ball valves use PTFE as the sealing material, while hard-seal ball valves have a metal welded sealing surface. When cleaning pipeline ball valves, care must be taken during disassembly to prevent damage to the sealing ring and leakage. 4. When disassembling and assembling a ball valve, the bolts and nuts on the flange should be tightened first, then all nuts should be slightly tightened before firmly securing them. If individual nuts are forcibly tightened first, and then the others are tightened, uneven pressure on the flange face may cause damage or cracking of the gasket, leading to leakage of the medium at the valve flange connection.
5. When cleaning stainless steel valves, the solvent used must be compatible with and non-corrosive to the parts being cleaned. For gas-specific ball valves, gasoline can be used for cleaning. Other parts can generally be cleaned with recycled water. During cleaning, thoroughly remove any residual dust, 油, and other deposits. If water alone is insufficient, targeted cleaning agents such as alcohol can be used without damaging the valve body and parts. After cleaning, allow the cleaning agent to completely evaporate before reassembling.
6. If a slight leak is found at the packing during use, slightly tighten the valve stem nut until the leak stops; do not continue tightening.
7. Long-term outdoor storage will cause the valve body and components to rust, rendering it unusable. Ball valves should be stored in a rainproof, waterproof, and moisture-proof environment, with the flange cover tightly closed. Valves stored for more than 12 months should be retested before use to ensure stable performance.
