In many situations, contractors choose components and parts for systems based on their own experience with installing and configuring different systems. However, often the choice of industrial valves, particularly when using only familiar brands and value types, ends up costing more and creating increased challenges with the installation.
It is also possible that the choice of an inferior type of valve or a valve that doesn’t meet the full requirements for the system will result in system downtime due to leaks or valve failure. This may not occur immediately, but it will occur at some time during the life of the valve.
Consider the Match of the Valve to the System
It is not uncommon for industrial valves to be selected that are not suited to a particular type of industrial process or system. In most cases, this occurs due to a lack of understanding of the purpose of the valve.
It can also occur when the engineers and designers failed to take in specific operating conditions or factors that will impact the effectiveness of a given valve type. It may also occur if the same valve is used throughout a process without considerations as to different requirements in valves, seats, and seals.
Low-Cost vs. Long Life
When it comes to industrial valves, as with most parts and components for industrial processes and systems, the price is often a factor of quality of durability, reliability and long-life cycles.
Cheap valves may cut costs during installation, but they will fail faster and ultimately increase the cost to the system. With a quality valve installed that has low failure rates, long life cycles, and less maintenance, there is actually a lower overall life-cycle cost.
Finally, incorrect valve sizing is a common source of problems in industrial applications. It is essential to consider the actual operating conditions as well as the high and low levels in all aspects of the system when choosing the ideal valve for the job.
