Maintenance and Troubleshooting for Fully Welded Ball Valves

Fully welded ball valves are essential in industries where high pressure, high temperature, and harsh environments are common. However, over time, they may face issues like clogging or jamming. It's important to handle and maintain them properly to keep everything running smoothly. In this article, we'll walk you through the common problems you might face with fully welded ball valves, why they happen, and how to fix them, so you can keep your equipment in top condition and avoid any major disruptions.

Clogging and Jamming in the Pipeline

A common issue with fully welded ball valves is clogging, often caused by impurities or solid particles in the pipeline. These particles, such as weld spatter, rust, or other debris, can build up in critical parts like the throttling area or guiding sections, and even in the valve's balancing hole. This can lead to jamming, particularly when the system is newly installed or after maintenance work. When this happens, it can cause wear on the valve seat and guiding surface, which might result in indentations and affect the valve's sealing and flow control.

Solution

Clean the Pipeline: The first step is to clean the pipeline thoroughly, especially after welding. Check for any impurities like rust, debris, or weld spatter, and make sure the fluid path is clear.

Repair the Valve: If there's damage to the contact surface or guiding area of the valve, you should fix it. This might involve grinding the surfaces or replacing the damaged parts.

Clear Out Debris: Open the bottom plug to remove any debris that might have settled into the valve's balancing hole. After that, flush the pipeline once more to ensure everything is clear.

Pre-Use Flushing: Before putting the valve into use, it's a good idea to open it fully and let the fluid flow for a while to flush out any leftover impurities.

Clogging from Solid Particles

If your valve is dealing with media that contains solid particles, especially during valve adjustments, those particles can clog up the throttling and guiding areas. This problem is more noticeable in smaller diameter valves, where even tiny particles can cause blockages, affecting both flow and pressure control.

Solution

Use External Cleaning Devices: You can install a flushing gas or steam device at the valve's bottom. Open the gas or steam valve to clean out the valve and remove any blockages inside.

Install Filters: Adding a filter in the pipeline before the valve helps keep solid particles from getting in and clogging up the valve.

Regular Cleaning and Maintenance: If you're handling media with solid particles, it's important to clean the system regularly. This will prevent the build-up of particles that could lead to blockages.

Improving Anti-Clogging Performance

Clogging is a common challenge, especially when the media contains solid particles. It can not only disrupt the valve's operation but also lead to equipment failure or system downtime. Improving a valve's resistance to clogging is key to ensuring smooth, long-term operation.

1. Leverage Media Scouring Energy

To enhance anti-clogging performance, you can make use of the scouring energy of the media. By adjusting the flow rate, the media can help flush out any particles that tend to settle in the valve, keeping the valve clear of blockages. Keeping the fluid flow consistent and clean is essential to avoiding clogging issues.

2. Maintenance Tips

Pre-treat the Media: Make sure the media entering the valve is free from any sediments or impurities. Installing a filtration system or using cleaning agents can help reduce build-up in the system.

Increase Flow Rate: If possible, raise the flow rate in the pipeline to ensure that there's enough scouring force inside the valve to prevent particles from accumulating.

Handling High Temperature and Pressure Conditions

In environments with high temperature and pressure, valves can experience sealing failures or leakage. The sealing performance of fully welded ball valves is crucial in these conditions, and after prolonged use, the sealing layer may degrade, leading to issues.

Solution

Install a Cooling System: To help the valve withstand high temperatures, you can install a cooling system that lowers the operating temperature, preventing sealing failures due to overheating.

Improve Sealing Layers: If needed, you can add extra sealing layers to increase the valve's pressure resistance, ensuring the valve operates well in tough conditions.

Routine Inspections: For valves used in high-temperature or high-pressure environments, check the sealing, pressure resistance, and high-temperature performance regularly. If necessary, replace worn-out sealing materials to maintain optimal function.

Emergency Procedures

Immediate Shutdown: If something goes wrong, like a pipeline rupture or leakage, it's crucial to act fast. Close the relevant valves to stop the fluid flow and minimize any potential damage. Make sure everything is stable to prevent further complications.

Fixing Faults: If you spot a fault, such as leakage or jamming, turn off the system and identify the cause. If the problem can't be fixed on-site, call for professional maintenance help to repair or replace the faulty parts and ensure the system stays safe and reliable.

Ongoing Maintenance and Care

Regular Cleaning and Lubrication: Keep the valve in good working condition by cleaning it once a year to prevent dirt from building up inside the valve seat. This will help maintain smooth movement. Also, lubricate the valve's opening and closing points regularly to reduce friction, preventing the ball from sticking to the seat and minimizing wear.

Maintenance Plan: Develop a maintenance schedule that includes regular checks of the valve's seals, guiding mechanisms, and any wear on internal and external parts. If the valve is under heavy use, pay extra attention to any performance changes and address any issues promptly.

Conclusion

Maintaining and troubleshooting fully welded ball valves requires attention to detail and regular care. From cleaning and repairing the valve to taking special precautions in high-temperature and high-pressure environments, proper maintenance will extend the life of your valve and reduce the risk of failures. By staying on top of regular inspections and cleaning, you'll improve the valve's reliability, prevent clogging, and ensure smooth operation.