Three Smart Tips for Selecting the Right Pressure Control Valve

As simple as it may sound, there are few things more important than selecting the right pressure control valve.

Pressure valves are designed to hold back, or resist pressure, and each valve rated with a Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP). If you pick a valve that’s not right for the job at hand you put yourself at risk of damaging the property – or even hurting yourself.

Thankfully, selecting the correct valve is actually much easier than it may seem, and we’ll help you to find out which pressure valve you need. Here are a few tips you can use to find the right pressure control valve for your job.

Know the Type of Pressure Control Valve You Need

No matter what project you plan to do, you need to know what type of valve is required to do it.

There are a vast number of pressure valves out there to choose from. To narrow the search down, it would help you to know the flow control type you need, the function the pressure valve will handle, and the operation it’s supposed to perform.

For example, some valves allow you to control or regulate flow (Shutoff & Needle Valves); while others are used in back- flow & water hammer prevention (Check & Stop-Check Valves). Others can be used for safety and pressure relieving purposes (Relief Valves); and still others are used for in-service calibration and pressure measurement (Instrument Valves).

Know What Materials You Need out of Your Valve

Valves are constructed out of different materials, and you’ll want to know what materials are suitable for your project.

The media that flows through the pressure valve – be it gas (high purity, CO 2 , mixed gas, or flammable O 2 or H 2 ), liquid (water, oil, acids, food, chemicals), or plasma can affect the valve and reduce its performance if the wrong material is used.

There are a number of corrosive resistant valves made to handle harmful or caustic flow media, and other valves made from more standard materials for non-corrosive media, so make sure to choose wisely. Please contact us directly to ask our engineering team the best valve material to use for your application.

Know Your Valve Size

Finally, knowing your pressure valve size is important. Of course, if you don’t get the right size, you’ll most likely get a valve that doesn’t fit. However, there is more to it than that.

The size of your valve also correlates to the flow rate and capacity requirements of your piping system. For example, if a valve is too small it could throttle the flow of the media, making it harder to carry out the task.

An incorrect pressure valve size could also cause damage to the overall system, meaning you’ll have to shell out more money for repairs.

Knowing your valve size could help you avoid these problems and get your system working properly.

The Latest in Industry Standards

Now that you know what to look for in your pressure control valve, you need to know where to go in order to get the pressure valves you need at a price that works for you. Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered.

For many years, CPV Manufacturing has been a leader in quality manufacturing, and we make sure to give only the best to our customers. We offer a vast array of valves for you to choose from, as well as a long list of quality fittings.

Our products are made to industrial standards and work to the standards of aerospace, shipbuilding, oil and gas, chlorine, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical sectors.

If you have any questions about who we are or what we do, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to helping support and provide assistance on your next project!

Preventing Seal Leaks

O-Rings: How a Small Part Plays a Huge Role

Advantages of O-Rings

Tight seal

High pressure tolerance

Make and break

Ease of replacement

Versatility in applications

Material Selection

Operating temperature

Media composition

Environmental conditions

Common O-Ring Materials

Buna-N

Viton®

EPDM

Installation

only use compatible lubricants when needed
never allow an O-ring to come into contact with any sharp edges or abrasive surfaces
always stretch the O-ring evenly and to within the specifications of the specific elastomer

Summary

product lines contact us

The Check Valve’s Role

7 Tips for Using Check Valves in Steam Condensate Systems

Steam Condensate SystemsThe Check Valve’s RoleCheck this

Check valves should be installed to prevent backflow and siphoning of condensate from the return main equipment.
Gravity rules. Condensate needs to be able to flow downhill from the process to the steam trap.
Verify that the pressure ratings of the valves being used are sufficient for the pressure that will be produced by the system.
Installing strainers that will collect any dirt or scale will extend the life of the check valves.
An additional check valve may also be installed at the lowest temperature point of a system as a vacuum breaker if needed. When done correctly, it will open to the air rather than the return line within the system so as to not pull in any condensate.
The check valve should be installed after the steam trap.
Correct sizing of check valves is essential for steam service. Over-sizing increases the risk of erosion. It’s important to know the pressure, temperature and expected flow rate when sizing silent check valves for steam condensate systems.

CPV Silent Check Valves contact us

Method for Connecting Valves and Fittings

Connecting High-Pressure Fittings – When to Solder, Weld, or Braze

Choosing the Right Method

Soldering

Welding

Brazing

Mark VIII O-Seal fittings here

Direct-Weld/Braze Fittings

Direct-Weld/Braze3 Tips for Leak-Free Fitting Connections

The metal being joined must be properly cleaned ahead of time. Contaminants can interfere with the bonding and create gaps.
Be sure to use the right filler and flux for the application. A solder flux will not work for brazing and vice versa.
Make sure all parts are properly sized. This means knowing what method you’ll be using to connect them.

here catalog contact us

Extreme Temperatures

Valves Below Zero

What to Look For When Choosing Low-Temperature Valves

Material SelectionResiliencyDormancyLow-Temperature Seal Materials

O-Ring & Stem Seal Temperature Ratings
Buna-N (Nitrile NBR)	-30°F to +250°F (-34°C to 121°C)
Viton® (Fluorocarbon)	-15°F to +400°F (-26°C to 205°C)
EPDM (Ethylene Propylene)	-70°F to +250°F (-57°C to 121°C)
Polyurethane	-40°F to +180°F (-40°C to 82°C)

Quality Testing Supplier Reliability Contact us.

Sizing a Valve

Selecting the Right Control Valve

Cavitation
Flashing
Erosion
Vibration
Corrosion

Consequences of Using the Wrong Size Control Valve

If it’s too small
- It cannot handle the flow that it needs to.
If it’s too large
- It cannot be adjusted to the required flow rate with any relative precision. Changing the valve’s position just slightly will create big, non-proportional changes in the fluid’s flow…it becomes overly sensitive.
- The valve’s precision will be further reduced by any friction in the system (which will cause stickiness).
- To top it off, purchasing a larger valve will cost more than it needs to.

Tips for Determining the Right Size Valve

Control Valve Primer – A User’s Guide,

An equal percentage valve works well for a system with a lot of pipe.
Linear valves work better for systems with a small amount of pipe.
Standard practice is to use a control valve that’s no larger than the line.
Never install a valve on a pipe that’s more than twice the diameter of the valve.
Globe valves are commonly one size smaller than the line. If you get a different result, you may wish to double check your information.
You’ll achieve the best control with a valve that’s sized to operate at:
- 60 to 80 percent open at the maximum required flow and
- around 20 percent open at the minimum required flow.

Other Factors Affecting Valve Size Selection

Flashing and cavitationChoked flowViscosityNoise Flow CharacteristicComputer Analysis to Determine Control Valve Size

q = C_v √ΔP/G_f

q = the flow rate in U.S. gallons per minute

_fSelecting the Type of Control ValveValves contact usI

Discover the Differences Between Actuators

Choosing an Actuator—Where to Start

First, it has to be able to move the valve closure member (ball, disc, or plug). It must have enough torque (for quarter-turn) or thrust (for linear) to be able to move it regardless of conditions.
The actuator must hold the valve open or closed (or at a specific position between the two) against the forces trying to move it. This includes holding up to dynamic torque conditions where necessary.
It needs to have a system failure mode or position. Depending on the circumstances, failure may require the valve remain open, closed, or again at a designated position somewhere in between.
For partial-turn valves, the actuator must have the ability to rotate it to the degree required (90°, 180°, etc.). When rotation greater than 180° is needed, electric actuators are the more popular choice.
It has to be able to operate at the required duty cycle and speed. When considering an electric actuator, special attention should be paid to the maximum speed required.

Types of Actuators

ManuaPneumatic Hydraulic Electric Solenoid Self-‐actuated

Comparison of Characteristics—Pneumatic vs. Electric

FloMaster Power SupplyTemperatureHazardous areasSpring ReturnDuty CycleSpeed ControlSizing

Valves Used in Numerous Industries

The Many Places You’ll Find Valves

Marine & Shipbuilding

Oil and Gas

Offshore rigs and facilitiesPipelinesRefinery and petrochemical

Liquefied Natural Gas

Gas Separation

Chemical

The Importance of the Right Trim

For Optimal Performance, Choose the Right Trim

http://www.cpvmfg.com/blog/valve-materials-many/a valve

What you need to know

The fluid — the first thing you must know is what will be flowing through the valve. If it contains fibrous particles or solids, valves that obstruct the flow (such as a butterfly valve) should be avoided. Not only are solids and particles erosive, but they may clog the opening. On the other hand, viscous fluids can create drops in pressure. Butterfly or ball valves are good options for viscous media.
The valve size — at first it may seem like the size of the valve has nothing to do with the trim. But an oversized control valve would have to be operated with a low or narrow opening, making it unreliable and causing the valve seat and closure to sustain more erosion damage.
The valve pressure drop (ΔP) — the difference between the upstream and downstream pressure of the valve is important for two reasons. First, a large pressure drop puts stress on the valve stem, so it must be strong enough to withstand it.

The fluid — the first thing you must know is what will be flowing through the valve. If it contains fibrous particles or solids, valves that obstruct the flow (such as a butterfly valve) should be avoided. Not only are solids and particles erosive, but they may clog the opening. On the other hand, viscous fluids can create drops in pressure. Butterfly or ball valves are good options for viscous media.
The valve size — at first it may seem like the size of the valve has nothing to do with the trim. But an oversized control valve would have to be operated with a low or narrow opening, making it unreliable and causing the valve seat and closure to sustain more erosion damage.
The valve pressure drop (ΔP) — the difference between the upstream and downstream pressure of the valve is important for two reasons. First, a large pressure drop puts stress on the valve stem, so it must be strong enough to withstand it.