Ball Valve Installation and Maintenance Guide

air relief valve

ball valve handle

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back pressure valve

Installation of ball valve

Preparation before installation

• The front and rear pipelines of the ball valve are ready. The front and rear pipelines should be coaxial, and the sealing faces of the two flanges should be parallel. The pipeline should be able to withstand the weight of the ball valve, otherwise appropriate support must be provided on the pipeline.
• Blow and clean the front and rear pipeline of the valve, remove the oil, welding slag, and all other impurities inside the pipeline.
• Check the marking of the ball valve and confirm that the ball valve is intact. Open and close the valve several times to confirm its normal operation.
• Remove the protective pieces on the flanges at both ends of the ball valve.
• Check and remove any possible dirt in the valve hole, and then clean the valve hole. Even tiny particles between the valve seat and the ball may damage the sealing surface of the valve seat.

Installation

• Install the valve on the pipeline. Either end of the valve can be installed on the upstream end. Hand-operated valves can be installed at any position on the pipeline. However, ball valves with gearboxes or pneumatic actuators should be installed upright, that is, installed on horizontal pipelines with the drive device above the pipeline.
• Install sealing gaskets between the valve flange and the pipeline flange according to the pipeline design requirements.
• Tighten the bolts on the flange symmetrically, progressively and evenly.
• Connect the pneumatic pipeline (when using pneumatic actuator).

Post-installation inspection

• Operate the actuator to open and close the ball valve several times to confirm its smooth and normal operation.
• Perform a sealing performance check on the flange joint surface between the pipeline and the ball valve according to the pipeline design requirements.

Maintenance of ball valve

• Before disassembling and decomposing, it must be ensured that the pressure in the upstream and downstream pipelines of the ball valve has been removed.
• When disassembling and reassembling, be careful not to damage the sealing surface of the parts, especially non-metallic parts. Special tools should be used to remove O-rings.
• When assembling, the bolts on the flange must be tightened symmetrically, progressively, and evenly.
• The cleaning agent should be compatible with the rubber parts, plastic parts, metal parts, and working medium (such as gas) in the ball valve. When the working medium is gas, gasoline can be used to clean the metal parts. Non-metallic parts should be cleaned with pure water or alcohol.
• Individual parts that have been disassembled can be cleaned by immersion. Metal parts that still have non-metallic parts that have not been disassembled can be wiped with a clean cloth soaked in a cleaning agent (to avoid fiber shedding and adhesion to the parts). During cleaning, all grease, dirt, glue, dust, etc. adhering to the wall surface must be removed.
• Non-metallic parts should be taken out of the cleaning agent immediately after cleaning, and should not be soaked for a long time.
• After cleaning, the cleaned wall surface should be assembled after the cleaning agent evaporates (it can be wiped with a cloth soaked in non-immersed cleaning agent), but it should not be left for a long time, otherwise it will rust or be contaminated by dust.
• New parts also need to be cleaned before assembly.
• Use lubricating grease for lubrication. The lubricating grease should be compatible with the ball valve metal material, rubber parts, plastic parts, and working medium.