We find that too often preventative valve maintenance is a topic that comes up only when there is a problem. Too many people assume that just because a valve was tested and stamped by the manufacturer, no further testing or maintenance is required.
But that’s not true. A preventative maintenance program is absolutely essential for the success and safety of your project. Here are five top benefits of valve preventative maintenance.
Keeping your valves working properly
Keeping your valves working better, longer is the whole point of preventative maintenance. Without this maintenance, you may find that your valves are difficult to turn or will no longer open or close. This could be due to a variety of causes, such as compromised valve seats or dried out elastomeric seals. If you don’t take care of these issues early enough, they could turn into problems that necessitate an emergency shutdown later on.
Enhancing safety
Preventative maintenance performed by properly trained valve technicians is the number one thing you can do to ensure the safety of your equipment and of your personnel. By keeping your valves working properly, preventative maintenance reduces your risk of an emergency and of the catastrophic consequences–like an explosion–that could result from a valve malfunction.
Saving money
Benchmarking studies have shown that companies waste millions of dollars by frequently replacing valves when all the valves actually needed was some preventative maintenance.
Preventative maintenance extends the life of your valves, so you have to replace them less often, and also decreases the amount of repair that must be performed throughout the valve’s usable life. For example, for sleeved plug valves in highly corrosive applications, you may be able to fix a leakage problem and get years of extra life out of your valves simply by tightening the bolts.
Reducing the need for shutdowns
Preventative valve maintenance decreases the occurrence of shutdowns, both emergency and planned. With today’s technologies, a lot of maintenance can be performed while valves are inline and under pressure.
Reducing fugitive emissions
Valves that are operating at a substandard level are a major cause of fugitive emissions. A study published a few years ago in Chemical Engineering magazine found that 60% of fugitive emissions in refineries can be traced to leaking valves. Preventative maintenance keeps your valves working in top shape, which in turn makes your projects kinder to the environment.
Many companies know that their valves need preventative maintenance, but they don’t have the personnel or the expertise to safely perform this maintenance themselves. We can design and deliver an affordable personalized preventative maintenance program to meet your needs.
Contact us for more information on how we can serve you.