How Do You Know When It’s Time To Replace Your Valve Packing?
Valve packing is a hell of a thing – it performs miracles in terms of preventing leaks, maintaining power and extending the life of your valves. However, it’s not indestructible and there will come a time when you need to replace your valve packing. So, what are the tell-tale signs? In this post, we get the experts at Steamline Engineering to explain when to replace your valve packing.
When your valves are leaking fluid
The biggest and most concerning sign that your packing may need replacing is when your valves start to leak fluid. This is never a good sign, and it could be to do with the packing. Over time, your valve packing begins to relax and wear thin, meaning that it can’t hold the fluid as well as it used to do.
If your valves are leaking fluid due to worn-out packing, you have to replace the packing immediately. Failing to do so could lead to further damage of your machinery, costing you a lot more money than a simple valve packing replacement.
When your machinery is losing power
A loss of power in your machinery is another sign that your valve packing might be on the way out. Valve packing helps to keep the valve nice and tight, distributing the correct amount of power to your machinery. If your valves show signs of high compression, they could be affecting the power of your machinery. This should be tested by conducting a compression test, before replacing the valve packing if necessary.
Why replace your valve packing?
This is a bit like asking, ‘Why service your car?’ It’s simply a requirement to replace your valve packing when the time comes. Replacing your valve packing helps to:
- Extend the life of your machinery
Your machinery can’t run properly without good valves and valve packing. If your machinery is suffering due to worn-out valve packing, it will be in need of more major repairs down the track. Replacing your valve packing when required ensures that your machinery keeps running for years to come. - It’s a serious safety threat not to
Failing to replace your valve packing is dangerous. It could result in a machinery failure, posing a threat to whoever is using the machinery, as well as other people in the vicinity.
Steamline Engineering are Australia’s leaders in valves, seals and industrial products. Stocking a range of high quality valve packing materials, they’re your number one choice of supplier. Steamline Engineering understand the importance of high performance packing material to keep your machinery in the best condition possible. Contact the team at Steamline to have a product shipped nation-wide.