Leakage of Ball Valve Stem and Remedy
If a ball valve leak is found in a piping system, the root cause of the stem leak needs to be identified in order to troubleshoot and ensure proper ball valve function. Most leakage ball valves are caused by differences in pipe pressure levels. If pipe pressure exceeds the pressure range of the ball valve, resulting in stem leakage, replace the ball valve immediately. In addition, select valves that meet the pipeline pressure to ensure the normal operation of the pipeline and related equipment.
Always select ball valves rated to handle specific pressure levels in piping systems and associated equipment.
What causes a ball valve to leak?
Here are some other factors that can cause a ball valve stem to leak:
1. Deflection or compression failure of packing gland
2. Insufficient or ineffective packaging
How To Fix a Leaking Ball Valve
Try the following steps to fix a leaking ball valve:
- Shut off the fluid flow to the leaking valve.
- Remove the handle from the stem.
- Loosen and remove the packing nut.
- Inspect the packing glad and internal components closely. Look for damage or signs of wear and tear. At this point, you must diagnose the valve and choose from the following solutions:
· Re-lock the packing gland evenly.
· Increase packing material.
· Replace old packing materials with new ones.
· Replace the valve entirely.
In addition, there is a special reminder that when electric or pneumatic actuators are mounted on ball valves, always ensure that the length of the valve rod meets the length of the actuator. If the ball valve stem is too short, it is easy to detangle from the stem connector portion on the actuator, resulting in a ball valve failure.
If the stem is too long, the stem can easily bear the actuator, resulting in increased torque and inflexible switching. This can also cause the stem to push down on the spool, causing the ball valve core to deflect and close in place, creating a leak. Therefore, in the ball valve installation process must pay close attention to avoid unnecessary losses.
Conclusion – Fixing a leaking valve
Fixing a leaking ball valve is not as difficult as you think. In fact, the biggest difficulty you will likely encounter is removing and reinstalling the valve. If you need any help during the repair or replacement process, please contact us, we are your trusted valve supplier. We are always there to help.
