Abstract
Valves are one of the most used products in the power industry. The subject of valves is broad. They come in various configurations to meet end-user requirements. Because of their uniqueness, valves are designed to meet specific industry standards such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Manufacturers Standardization Society, the British Standards Institute, the International Organization for Standardization, and many others. Compliance with these standards assures the valve end-users that their purchased valves will provide them with long term service. In most cases they do. However, there is no guarantee that newly installed valves in plants will last forever as nothing mechanical lasts forever. In this paper, the authors present survey results where the newly installed valves did not last long in service and where they did. In another survey, the authors will show some examples of valves that failed in service and what actions were taken to address the failures. Additionally, the authors will present examples of installed valves that provided long term services and the reasons for their good performance. Finally, the paper will cover remedies that valve end-users should consider adopting to ensure that their valves will provide long term service in operation.
