Kunkle Valve is a premier manufacturer of pressure relief valves. In fact, Erastus B. Kunkle invented the safety valve, which he patented in 1875, to prevent overpressure in locomotive engines. For almost 150 years, Kunkle Valve has been known for their high-quality products — many pieces of equipment that require valves, like boilers and air compressors, are shipped from the factory with a Kunkle Valve already installed.

This post provides an overview of the types of valves Kunkle manufactures and the applications where they are commonly used.

Kunkle Valve design

The basic design of Kunkle valves is similar to that of Consolidated valves, with a disc on top of a seating surface and a spring set to relieve at a certain pressure. The major differences between the two types of valves is their size and where they are used: whereas Consolidated makes large, heavy-duty valves for industrial applications like pipelines and refineries, Kunkle makes smaller, less expensive pressure relief valves for lower-pressure commercial applications, like hospital boilers and building sprinkler systems.

Examples of Kunkle Valve services and applications

Kunkle makes many different types of valves that can be used for many purposes. The entire line includes 30 or so models that are available in sizes ranging from ¼” to 6” x 8”. Within that line, they cover a lot of niche areas. For example, they have valves made of bronze, cast iron, steel, and even 316 stainless steel. Due to the material variety, the valves can be used in many applications, from sanitary applications (hospitals, food machinery) to boilers on ships, to corrosive applications like acids.

Kunkle valves are used for steam, air, and liquid service. Below are some examples of each.

Steam service

The most popular Kunkle valves for steam service that we sell are:

  • Model 6010, which is a side outlet, full nozzle valve that has bronze/brass trim (also available with a Teflon® disc insert [Model 6021] and with stainless steel trim [Model 6030]). The 6010 comes in sizes ½” to 2” and is used primarily on smaller boilers and heating systems.
  • Model 6252, which is a cast iron valve with an enclosed spring and stainless steel trim. The 6252 ranges from 1 ½” to 6” and is used for larger steam boilers and also sometimes for air service.

Universities are a good example of where Kunkle steam valves might be used. Many universities have a steam plant and need to transfer the generated steam to 30 or 40 buildings through underground piping. Along that piping, they may have different pressure requirements, such as 30 pounds of steam pressure to heat a dorm, but only 2 or 3 pounds to heat steam tables in the cafeteria. In this case, each pressure reducing station would be followed by a Kunkle relief valve.

Air service

Many Kunkle valves are designed for air service, such as on air compressors in auto shops and small factories where either low- or high-pressure air is required. For example, at a tire shop that uses mechanical or pneumatic tools, a Kunkle air valve would sit atop the air compressor.

Liquid service

Kunkle also makes valves for liquid service, which are installed on water lines after pumps. For example, in an apartment building that has a sprinkler system, relief valves are there to keep the pressure from getting too high.

View our full line of Kunkle Valve products. If you have any questions about Kunkle Valves or need help sizing and selecting the right valve for your application, give us a call or shoot us an email — we’re here to help.

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