3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance & Safe Use Instructions

Preface

BATUSAN emphasizes personal safety and the long service life of ball valves with this instruction manual, Installation, Operation and Maintenance Manual. This 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance manual will provide all necessary safety guidelines for the valves, including information on handling, storage, installation, operation and 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance. Please read it carefully before installing or maintaining the valve.

Purpose

It is to ensure that the BALL VALVE, which is a type of valve that provides the functions of directing, transmitting or stopping the fluids with the movement of the sphere inside the body of the valves produced according to the relevant standard, is assembled in accordance with the valve conditions in order to fulfill the working principles and to ensure that the valve is operated in environments suitable for the conditions of the valve. For this purpose, information and instructions are given about the appropriate conditions and situations / issues to be considered.

The user is responsible for the problems and consequences arising from behaviors contrary to the specified issues, including those caused by neglected 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance.

Working principle of “L” type and “T” type valves

“L” type 3-way ball valve

Working principle: L type valves have an “L” shaped passage channel inside the sphere. This design allows the fluid to be directed to one of two different outlets. L type valves are generally used to change the flow direction by 90 degrees.

Areas of use:

• Change flow direction
• Directing fluid from two different sources to a single outlet
• Directing fluid from a single source to two different outlets

Advantages: simple and reliable design, low pressure drop, easy to use.

“T” type 3-way ball valve

Working principle: T-type valves have a “T” shaped passage channel inside the sphere. This design allows fluid to be directed to any one or two of three different outlets simultaneously. T-type valves can also be used to mix fluids or change the flow direction by 180 degrees.

Areas of use:

• • Mixing fluids

• Change flow direction
• Directing fluid from three different sources to a single outlet
• Directing fluid from a single source to three different outlets

Advantages: versatile use, ability to mix fluids.

Considerations in ball valve selection

The 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions list the following criteria for selecting the correct valve:

• • The medium in which it will be used (the fluid passing through it) should be selected according to whether the fluid is liquid, gas, air or dark excess fluid containing solid particles and whether it is corrosive or not.
  • Concentration and temperature of the fluid (max and min): the max temperature and min temperature of the fluid passing through the operating temperature valve must be known.

• • Operating pressure (max operating pressure): max pressure of the fluid passing through the valve.
  • Type of connection to the circuit: threaded, flanged, socketed, welded or unionized.
  • Size or amount of fluid to be flowed per hour.
  • Compliance with world standards: API, DIN, EN.
  • Valve passage type: full passage (full bore) or reduction passage (reduced bore).

Storage

The 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions define the following storage conditions:

• • Valves should never be stacked on top of each other to avoid any adverse situation that could affect valve performance and cause injury to personnel.
  • The boxes should be opened and the valves inside should be checked to ensure that users are not damaged by transportation.

• • If the valve is removed from the box or pallet, the accessories on the valve must be protected from any crushing or impact.
  • Long-term storage of valves min. 6 months: the line connection covers of the valve are opened and the unpainted parts are lubricated with anti-corrosion oils and the flanges are closed with covers.
  • During shipment or storage, the weight information of the product is checked and it is deemed appropriate to be shipped with the appropriate carrier.

Transport

For transport, the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions require the following precautions:

• • Cloth slings should be used when opening the box to prevent any damage to the valve.
  • When lifting the valves, it is recommended to use lifting devices suitable for the valve weight.
  • The transportation of ball valves larger than 25 kg is provided by the lifting lugs on the valve, which have their own lifting points designed to carry the load of the valve.
  • For valves over 25 kg without carrying lugs, transportation can be made through the stud holes in the connection flanges to the installation.
  • Gear box or actuator should not be used for lifting the valve.
  • Lifting equipment must always be double checked before each lifting operation for valve and occupational safety.
  • Never remove the valve flange protection to prevent foreign matter from entering the valve during lifting / transportation.

Points to be considered when using ball valves

The following operating points are taken from the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions:

• Batusan ball valves are protected and cleaned against foreign objects entering the line connection points. It is recommended not to remove the packaging and cover of the valve until you connect it to the line.
• The valve should be left in full open position or full closed position. The valve left in the half-open position damages the ball sealing teflon due to its working principle and causes the valve to leak.
• You should apply force to the valve handles only for opening and closing positions in the direction of the arrow. Do not apply force when the movement of the lever rests on the stop pin.

During 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance, check that operating conditions are indicated on the valve as maximum working pressure in BAR.

Matters to be considered in ball valve installation

Correct installation is the starting point of trouble-free 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance; observe the requirements below.

For valve mounting

• • Before valve installation, the line should be cleaned with compressed air or steam to remove any burrs, rust, foreign objects and dirt that may be present in the pipeline.
  • Line conformity check should be made and the line information should be compared with the information on the valve.
  • For the new valve to be installed, the labels / covers on both flanges must be removed.
  • If there is a flow direction on the valve, the valve is mounted on the line to be connected to the flow direction of the line. If the flow direction is not specified on the valve, it can be installed in both directions.

• • The valve to be used must be of suitable standard, pressure class and diameter for the line to be connected.
  • The axes of the pipes to be installed and the hole axes of the fitting to be used must be on the same axis. Example: if flange is used as connection element, bolt hole axes must be on the same axis. Excessive stresses occurring on the valve due to such axis misalignments will jeopardize the sealing.
  • If the connection element is flange, the gaps are removed by tightening the bolts mutually, then they are tightened mutually at the given torque values.
  • If valve space is left during installation, it should be left by calculating the length of the valve to be used and the length of the sealing elements.
  • If the connection type is threaded, the thread length on the pipe should not be less than the valve thread length.
  • Leakage control should be performed by testing with a pressure 1.5 times the rated pressure indicated on the label.
  • Care should be taken to ensure that the valve to be installed in the installation is in the open position, and the handle should be in the flow direction.
  • The flange side of the valve to be installed in the installation, where the technical information is written, is mounted as input. Then the other side is mounted to the installation without giving the opportunity to create tensile stress.

For the flange sealing element

Sealing elements are the most frequent item in 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance:

• • The sealing element should be selected according to the fluid type and pressure.
  • The surfaces of the sealing element to be used in flange connections must be smooth.
  • De-assembled, deformed sealing element should not be used, a new one should be installed.

During 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance, when installing the sealing element, care should be taken not to close the valve passage throat. (Sealing elements: Klingerit, Teflon, O-ring, rubber or rubber of suitable hardness.)

Periodic check and general 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance

Inspection

To ensure the design life of the valve, a regular 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance inspection program is required. Depending on the service conditions and the frequency of valve operation, the following checks should be carried out in the field, in parts and in whole, to verify that the valve is operating correctly:

• • • Paint integrity
    • Powder precipitate
    • Signs of rust, external corrosion and oxidation
    • Vent, drain parts status
    • Lubrication of screw threads and bearings
    • Internal and external leakages

Periodic check

A routine 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance check should be carried out maximum every two years from the date of delivery. Underground valves cannot be subjected to routine 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance, but a preventive 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance and inspection program is required once a year.

Generally, 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance covers shaft and sitring lubrication, gear box operation control and end connections, body flange gasket leakage control, relief and vent valves and drain plugs leakage control, if any. If there are signs of nonconformity during the control, it is recorded in the report. It is ensured that the relevant persons are notified and troubleshooting service is requested.

Additional 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance

Additional 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance operations are not performed according to the schedule; this is the intervention performed when the valve is not working. Trained personnel should perform the above-mentioned intervention on the required dates with the appropriate documentation.

Replacement of gaskets

• • • Isolate or depressurize the line and operate with the valve in the open position.
  • Mark the body and body flange with a fixed paint or marker on the right and left sides in the same alignment so that when reassembling, these marks will ensure that they are connected in the same position. This is very important as it guarantees sealing on the same surface. Unscrew and remove the housing studs and nuts.

• • Remove the fitted cover and mark the position of the sphere in accordance with the marked side (do not mark on the surface where the Teflon or the SWG sit is in contact). Remove the old gasket and dispose of it at the universal waste collection point.
  • Check the gasket contact surface for damage and deterioration. Clean the surfaces and remove any foreign material and/or debris. Clean the gasket seat with a rough cloth. Every leak in the seal can lead to damage. The contact surfaces must have a smoothness of 1.6 to 3.2 Ra to ensure a good seal.
  • Install the new gasket without using any filler material during this replacement.
  • Assemble the body flange of the valve with the body with the ball open. Tightening values of body-stud-nut or bolts will be according to Table 4 of the manual.

3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance preparation

• • Find the instructions with drawing numbers ref. no. of the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance scope valve. 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance must not be performed without instructions and drawings.
  • Check the safety of the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance area.
  • If there are any flammable, explosive, electric current, pressure, air pollutant or poisonous substances, warn the relevant persons to remove them.
  • Check that you have sufficient equipment for disassembly and assembly torque.
  • Ensure that you have an adequate supply of the necessary lubricants and cleaners.
  • If there are gearboxes and actuators, have their catalogs and 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions available.

3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance and lubrication procedure

The 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions specify the following lubrication steps:

• • Cleaning will be carried out after safety measures have been approved. Take precautions for cleaning waste, prevent it from being dispersed into the environment.
  • A special purpose and high quality Batusan seatflash cleaner is injected into the emergency sealing system. This process removes old oil and other foreign materials from the critical sealing area, which will cause leakage and high torque.
  • When the valve is in the fully closed position, additional special purpose Batusan sealing oil, selected according to the type of fluid, is slowly injected into the emergency sealing system on the high pressure side of the valve.
  • If possible, the additional sealing oil is evenly distributed over the entire sphere surface by moving the sphere slightly.
  • Damaged or defective emergency sealing fittings can be replaced when the valve is under line pressure. However, it must first be ensured that the check valve is working.
  • Post-lubrication waste must be disposed of according to the “Waste Management” procedure.

Control procedure

The control procedure in the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions covers these steps:

• • Confirm safety precautions for control and live test.
  • If there is a situation to measure the system pressure for the test, get information from the source.
  • For DBB type valve, open the drain or vent valve and start relieving the pressure from the body cavitation.
  • If the pressure inside the casing is relieved, perform leak measurement with API 6D leak tolerances. For this, it will be sufficient to measure bubbles using a tube.
  • If the measurement exceeds the standard values, record a leak and suggest a repair procedure (gearbox adjustment, seat and shaft seal adjustment or seat repair lubrication, etc.).

Dismantling procedure

The 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance instructions describe the dismantling sequence as follows:

• • Cleaning will be carried out after safety measures have been approved. Take precautions for cleaning waste, prevent it from being dispersed into the environment.
  • Clean, especially the areas to be accessed for 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance, ensuring that they are thoroughly cleaned.
  • If there are weights and sizes that cannot be lifted and dismantled by hand, install lifting equipment.
  • Follow the recommended sequence by referring to the detailed drawings of the dismantling operation. During dismantling, always mark, paint or pencil and number the parts without separating them from each other, in such a way that the direction can be easily understood, and in such a way that they coincide with the same direction when installed.
  • During disassembly, inspect the parts and photograph any damage such as corrosion or deformation immediately.
  • Record the actions to be taken to remove the damage and attach photographs as evidence.
  • Remove rust and/or dirt without damaging the dismantled parts.
  • Separate the parts to be replaced and check the compatibility with the replacement.
  • Valves that cannot be sealed have ball and o-ring damage. The valve must be disconnected from this line.

Reassembly and assembly

For reassembly, the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance dismantling procedure must be reversed. For fuselage assembly, strictly observe the warnings on the relevant technical drawing and its annexes. When in doubt, always consult Batusan technical service or request service.

Final adjustment and checks

Close every 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance operation with the following adjustments and checks:

• Verify the correctness of the opening and closing direction signs.
• Measure and record the opening and closing torque.
• Full opening and closing check (you can do it together with sealing check).
• Confirm safety precautions for check and live test.
• Get information from the source if there is a possibility to measure the system pressure for the test.
• Open the drain or vent valve for DBB type valve and start to release the pressure from the body cavitation.
• If the pressure inside the casing is relieved, measure the leakage with API 6D leakage tolerances. For this, it will be sufficient to measure bubbles using a tube.

If the measurement exceeds the standard values, record a leak and suggest a repair procedure (gearbox adjustment, seat and shaft seal adjustment or seat repair lubrication, etc.).

3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance marking

Copy the 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance records we made in the maintenance document to the valve file. If service is done, add it to the service attachment. If there are spare parts used, add the spare part entries to the valve’s file and the service form attachment. Adjustment and measurement records and the opinions of the maintainer, suggestions for future 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance will be indicated on the service form.

Label the field service and record the latest 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance date. This period should not be more than 12 months.

Decommissioning and disposal

3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance ends with decommissioning: at the end of its working life, the valve is removed from the line with an appropriate procedure according to the valve type and installation conditions. In order not to pollute the environment during valve dismantling, equipment should be used to prevent the leakage of the valve inlet and outlet from contaminating the environment. Bring the valve to a place in accordance with European, national and regional standards and store it until the date of disposal.

The valve may contain toxic, corrosive and harmful substances. It must be cleaned with high pressure steam before disassembly. The waste generated during this process must be disposed of in accordance with European, national, regional, municipal directives and/or waste laws and/or hazardous material laws. The paint layer on the valve is removed by sandblasting. Residual metallic parts can be recycled in a steel mill. Plastic parts (O-ring, ring packing, etc.) must be disposed of in accordance with European, national, regional, municipal directives and/or waste and/or hazardous material laws.

Beyond routine 3-Way Ball Valve Maintenance, additional documents — mounting drawing (gear boxed) and parts list and definitions — are special order documents; refer to the order file.

Conclusion

If the BALL VALVE, which we call the valve of our age, is desired to work properly, placing a strainer (filter) in the main circuits will reduce operating costs. The BALL VALVE connected to the installation should be operated in fully open or fully closed positions to prevent possible leaks and operating costs.

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