In the manufacturing industry, we’re taught to look at the big picture when it comes to troubleshooting. If a pressure relief valve experiences failure, is releasing pressure before a system reaches maximum pressure, or is constantly leaking or chattering, it’s always best to assume that there’s something wrong with the system.
Huade Hydraulic contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
When maintained properly, a pressure relief valve can stay in service for up to 30 years, and if you’ve been having your valves tested regularly, it’s likely that there’s something else in your system that’s to blame. That said, pressure relief valves can and do fail, and it’s important to be able to recognize the signs in order to quickly solve the problem, and keep your facility safe. Here are 3 signs of pressure relief valve failure to watch out for when you’re troubleshooting your facility’s system:
If your system isn’t reaching pressure, this could be a sign of pressure relief valve failure. In some cases, this could be fixable. If the valve was calibrated to the wrong set pressure, it could simply be releasing early. This happens occasionally when changes are made to your facility’s plant design, and technicians forget to recalibrate pressure relief valves for the system’s new normal operating pressure. Your valve technicians can go in and adjust the valve’s set pressure to address this issue.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, and all other aspects of your system seem to be functioning properly, then it’s possible that your pressure relief valve needs to be changed. After years of service, the valve could have become damaged or eroded by dirt and debris in the environment, blocking the valve from fully closing. This often causes chattering, where the valve isn’t fully open, but is opening and closing rapidly, preventing it from properly doing its job.
When your system cannot reach pressure, you’ll likely experience production slowdown, if not total downtime. It’s good to know that checking your pressure relief valves can help you determine the problem.
Pressure relief valves and safety relief valves are what keep your facility safe. In the event that your system builds up above the maximum pressure for safe functionality, safety relief valves open up to let off additional pressure, keeping your facility, your employees, and your equipment safe.
If your system is above pressure and your pressure relief valves have not released, this is likely a functional pressure relief valve failure. Again, you’ll need to make sure that the valves are set to the correct set pressure, and you’ll want to take a look at the big picture of your system to understand why it’s functioning overpressure in the first place. Outside of those two concerns, if your pressure relief valves haven’t released, it’s likely that they’ve failed.
Contaminants, like dirt, lint, rust, sludge, or even the misalignment of the valve can cause the pressure relief valve to stick. At this point, you might see that your system is above pressure, or you’ll notice other pressure relief valves in the system releasing to make up for this valve’s malfunction.
While the other two signs are pretty obvious, this last sign is more noticeable when you’re directly inspecting your pressure relief valves. Leaking valves are a problem, and can contribute to slower, less efficient production, but they can be more difficult to notice as their effect on the entire system can be much smaller. This is part of the reason that preventative valve testing and maintenance is so important.
If your pressure relief valve has no pressure, it’s likely that the balance hole has become plugged, the spring is broken, or the valve simply has a loose fit. In the case of a loose fit or broken spring, replacement is a must. The valve isn’t able to function properly within your system, which means it’s not protecting your facility, your employees, or your equipment in the event that there is a larger problem.
Pressure valve leakage is a little more complicated to troubleshoot, as there are a variety of potential causes. It could be the valve itself, it could be that misalignment is causing a failure to reseat after a correct opening, or it could be that there is greater pressure in your system than the valve’s set pressure. A quality inline safety relief valve testing system can help you here. S
Remember that a Malfunctioning Pressure Relief Valve Isn’t Always a Sign of Valve Failure
The greatest takeaway from this article should be that a malfunctioning pressure relief valve is most often a symptom of a greater problem, rather than a problem itself. As we mentioned earlier, pressure relief valves that are properly maintained can last for up to 30 years. In most cases, it’s important to look at the “why” behind pressure relief valve failure, rather than just replacing the valve in question.
This article from the Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering provides a helpful flowchart outlining the troubleshooting procedure to take in the event that you experience any sort of pressure relief valve failure.
Hydraulic relief valves limit system pressure to protect components. The valves also limit the hydraulic system’s maximum output force. All hydraulic system relief valves work by balancing the hydraulic force with an adjustable spring force. Whenever the relief valve opens in response to a predetermined pressure, it releases heat. A properly adjusted valve will enable the system to operate correctly, while controlling the amount of heat generated.
If valves are not set properly or monitored carefully, the hydraulic system can malfunction and suffer damage.
Below we describe the steps involved in setting hydraulic system relief valves and the signs that a valve needs replacing.
Step #1:
Consult and review the machine drawings to figure out which circuit needs adjustment. Locate the relief valve for the circuit. Relief valves are always piped in parallel to the pump and are normally as close to the pump as possible.
Step #2:
Locate and remove the hydraulic hose on the system side of the relief valve. Cap off the hose and valve with the correct JIC caps or plugs. Do not cap off the return or tank side of the relief valve. Capping off or plugging unused hoses and fittings prevents the loss of hydraulic fluid and system contamination. Using any method of capping or plugging a hose other than with the proper JIC plug or cap is unsafe and should never be attempted. This deadheads the hydraulic circuit in order to isolate the system to just the pump and relief valve.
Step #3:
Connect a pressure gauge between the relief valve and the pump. Most equipment will have a port already installed for this purpose. If there is no port, use an adapter to install the gauge.
Step #4:
Loosen the pressure relief valve adjustment as far as it will go. The relief valve will normally have a locking hex nut and an Allen head adjuster or hand wheel adjuster. Start the equipment and activate the hydraulic circuit. The pressure reading on the gauge should be close to zero.
Step #5:
Adjust the relief valve by turning the adjuster clockwise until the reading on the gauge builds to the pressure called for on the machine drawings. This is what is known as the valve “cracking” pressure, which is the pressure at which the relief valve starts to open. Tighten the adjuster lock nut securely, being careful not to disturb the valve setting.
Step #6:
Shut down the machinery and allow the pressure to bleed off. Remove the JIC plugs and caps, and reconnect any hoses removed in Step 2. Start the machinery, and test the relief valve by starting the circuit. The pressure reading on the circuit should not rise above the pressure that was set on the relief valve.
If a relief valve is set but is releasing pressure before a system reaches maximum pressure, or if it’s constantly leaking or chattering, something may be wrong with the system.
A properly maintained pressure relief valve can stay in service for up to 30 years. If you’ve been testing your valves regularly, it’s likely there’s something else in your system to blame.
That said, pressure relief valves can and do fail. It’s important to learn the signs of a possible failure in order to quickly solve the problem and keep your facility safe.
Here are 3 signs of pressure relief valve failure to watch out for.
If your system is not reaching the right pressure, it could be a sign of pressure relief valve failure. In some cases, this could be fixable. If the valve was calibrated to the wrong set pressure, it could simply be releasing early. This can happen with changes to your facility’s plant design. In some cases, technicians forget to recalibrate pressure relief valves for the system’s new normal operating pressure. Your valve technicians can go in and adjust the valve’s set pressure to address this issue.
The company is the world’s best Electromagnetic Relief Valve supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, and the rest of your system is working properly, then your pressure relief valve likely needs to be changed. After years of service, the valve could be damaged or eroded from environmental dirt and debris, which block the valve from fully closing. This can cause chattering, where the valve isn’t all the way open, but is opening and closing rapidly, stopping it from properly doing its job. When your system cannot reach pressure, you will likely experience production slowdown or downtime.
Pressure relief valves and safety relief valves are what keep a facility safe. If your system builds up more than safe maximum pressure, safety relief valves open up to let off additional pressure, keeping your facility, your employees, and your equipment safe.
If your system is above pressure and your pressure relief valves have not released, this could be a relief valve failure. You will need to ensure that the valves are set to the correct set pressure.
Contaminants, like dirt, lint, rust, sludge, or even the misalignment of the valve can cause the pressure relief valve to stick. At this point, you might see that your system is above pressure, or you will notice other pressure relief valves in the system releasing to make up for this valve’s malfunction.
While the other two signs appear obvious, this last sign is more noticeable when you’re directly inspecting your pressure relief valves. Leaking valves are a problem, and can contribute to slower, less efficient production, but they can be more difficult to notice, as their effect on the entire system can be much smaller. This is part of the reason that valve testing and maintenance is so important.
If your pressure relief valve has no pressure, it is likely that the balance hole is plugged, the spring is broken, or the valve has a loose fit. In the case of a loose fit or broken spring, replacement is a must. The valve does not function properly within your system, which means it’s not protecting your facility, your employees, or your equipment in the event that there is a larger problem.
Pressure valve leakage is a little more complicated to troubleshoot, as there are many possible causes. It could be the valve, it could be that misalignment is causing a failure to reseat after a correct opening, or it could be that there is more pressure in your system than the valve’s set pressure. A quality inline safety relief valve testing system can help you here.
Properly setting, inspecting, and maintaining pressure relief valves in a hydraulic system is key to operating a safe facility.
A failing pressure relief valve is most often a symptom of a greater problem. In most cases, It is important to look at the “why” behind pressure relief valve failure, rather than just replacing the valve in question.
Control valves are a crucial component of any hydraulic system. Responsible for controlling the flow, pressure and direction of hydraulic fluids, they are essential for ensuring that fluid flow stays at a set point in order to ensure optimal performance of the machine.
As a result, if there is a fault or failure with a control valve this can have damaging impacts on the operation of the system and present potential health hazards.
There are many different types of hydraulic control valves, configured to suit the requirements of each system. The size and complexity of the system will determine how many valves are needed, and which types of valves are required.
Without the right valve selection, or a malfunctioning valve, the hydraulic system would struggle to function. Whilst it’s important to perform regular maintenance of your system to prevent failures, it’s also crucial to be able to spot the telltale signs that something may be wrong.
In this article, we will look at some of the common symptoms of control valve faults, and how to detect if your valve needs repairing or replacing.
It goes without saying that a sudden change in, or loss of, pressure in a hydraulic system could be down to a number of factors in various components – but it’s worth checking your control valves.
A change in system pressure of fluid flow rate may be shown on the system’s dial indicator, so you can quickly see if the valve is performing outside of expected parameters. For issues where fluid flow has halted completely, it’s a good idea to check that your directional control valves are situated in the correct position.
Internal leakage in a control valve can be a relatively difficult issue to identify. Valves aren’t designed to close completely and therefore do come with an acceptable leakage level.
However, this is capped at a maximum, so should your valve leakage be exceeding this limit then this can cause a multitude of problems and it may be time to repair or replace.
There may be many reasons why a hydraulic control valve can leak internally – from an incorrectly calibrated positioner to a poor actuator set-up and the wear of internal components.
Regardless, internal leaks are more difficult to identify than external leaks but can be diagnosed by a knowledgeable hydraulic technician.
A large majority of external leaks in a hydraulic system are caused by the control valve. When a system begins leaking hydraulic fluid, this can lead to disastrous consequences with great health and safety implications.
Fortunately, external leaks are fairly visible to the eye so can be diagnosed relatively quickly. External leaks can be caused by anything from faulty valve packing and incompatible materials to excessive component wear.
Generally, correct and regular maintenance of the hydraulic system can prevent hydraulic leaks for the most part, by ensuring that seals are in good condition and the equipment has adequate protection from system vibrations. However, if the component or its elements become worn or damaged, it will need to be replaced as opposed to repaired.
A valve that won’t shift is a common problem in hydraulic systems and can be caused by several factors including mechanical failure, contamination or operator failure.
Contamination from hard particles can stop the valve from moving in its required direction and lead to it becoming jammed. If the contamination isn’t removed, the valve can begin to leak and cause further problems. It is therefore important to have the correct contamination control measures in place such as appropriate filtration and planned maintenance schedules.
Often, a sticking valve can be a consequence of overcompensating for a leakage. When a leak is identified, operators typically attempt to offset this by tightening the packing to stop the leak. As valves come with a specific packing torque value, making any changes to this can prevent them from functioning correctly.
As with any other hydraulic component, even the most reliable and high-quality control valves can quite simply just stop working. Wear and tear may cause the component to become fatigued and eventually break down, it could be incompatible with the system, or it may not be calibrated correctly.
In order to ensure the efficiency and reliability of a healthy hydraulic system, it is important that all components are sized correctly for the application. Control valves should be carefully selected depending on their size and process conditions such as flow, media, and temperature.
Valve failure presents many problems for any hydraulic machinery but can be easily prevented by enlisting the help of a hydraulic engineer in the first instance, and performing required maintenance ongoing.
So, you suspect that there may be a fault with your control valve – but can it be repaired or does it need replacing?
Typically, a control valve repair will be the most cost-effective option in most cases – but this does depend on the condition of the valve along with the costs incurred to seek replacement parts and re-build the valve.
Some valves may fail due to something minor such as a broken seal or faulty bolt which can easily be repaired, whereas others may present more complex problems. A valve that has been operational for some time could be nearing the end of its life, and if it is repetitively failing, it will likely work out more cost-effective to replace as opposed to repair it.
Considering the number of different reasons why a valve may fail, it’s always best to seek out the help of a knowledgeable technician who can diagnose the problem and recommend the most appropriate solution.
This document provides a checklist for pre-commissioning inspection and calibration of a pressure relief valve. The checklist includes items to inspect such as serial number, materials, sizes, settings, and location. It also lists calibration tests to perform including cold setting pressure, lift pressure, reset pressure, and leak testing. Technicians must complete the inspection and testing, ensure proper installation, and confirm the calibration certificate is stored.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Superimposed Relief Valve. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.