All types of valves become subject to repair or replacement over the course of their life.Understanding the total cost of ownership of your valves is an important part in the decision making in the upkeep of your valves and process efficiency.

As with anything else, some variables can affect your total cost of ownership, such as the age of the valve, environmental requirements, repair costs and expertise, and type of valve, to name a few. Valves are typically a capital expense so maximizing every valve dollar spent is critical.

The line between repairing a valve economically or deciding to replace a valve has risen because some professionals will not consider repairing certain valves sizes of certain materials and with more specialized materials and conditions the threshold continues to rise for go/no-go repair decision. Some valves are more critical than others and require a higher level of maintenance and repair, meaning more expertise, time and technology, equaling a higher cost.

To keep plant personnel safe and daily operations running smoothly, it is absolutely necessary to winterize your plant properly.

Without proper protection of industrial processes, you run the risk of:

• frozen equipment and blocked pipes
• product loss
• damage needed unforeseen repair work

There are many ways you can prepare, before it’s too late. Heat tracing of production lines is one of them and can be steam or electric. Heat tracing is appealing because it is safe and durable, not to mention it’s a great preventative to emergency and costly repairs. Often times this aspect of plant engineering, design, and installation can slip to the bottom of the priority list.

Heat tracing is just one aspect to consider when winterizing a plant. We should also consider the measurements and controls and the elements they are also exposed to.

Valve & Automation Summit

WHEN: October 3, 2019

WHERE:

Eastern Controls, Inc.

10437 Leadbetter Road

Ashland, VA 23005

WHAT: Full day of educational and hands-on seminars and demonstrations or industry leading measurement and control equipment.

TOPICS: Valves and positioners and ease of maintenance, live-streamed flame detection demonstration, Actuation in the industry, and safety in storage tanks.

September was a busy month for the Eastern Controls Training department. Our Fundamental Instrumentation School 101 had every seat filled and we had a group from a previous training course return for our Control Valve 101 course!

Check out the courses we are highlighting this month!

Maintenance of pH, Conductivity & DO

Understanding and mastering the measurement of process liquid quality is critical to a process and the output of said process.  This 8-hour course covers:

• Theory of operation for pH, Conductivity, and Dissolved Oxygen
• Analytical technologies, applications, and communications
• Troubleshooting
• Equipment Handling
• Maintenance
• Cleaning
• Calibrations
• Diagnostics

Mechanical equipment and boiler rooms are the hubs that keep campuses running, and running efficiently. Summer time usually means maintenance for many colleges in these areas, but there is constant evaluation that goes on throughout the rest of the year as well.

Mechanical equipment rooms are the hub of a buildings heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The equipment within these rooms has the potential to leak harmful combustible or toxic gases, as well as costly and environmentally harmful refrigerant gases.

Refrigerant gas is considered toxic because at high concentrations they can displace oxygen and this deficiency can cause serious injury or death to workers. For economic reasons refrigerant leak detection is encouraged due to the high costs associated with a refrigerant leak. Not only do refrigerants need to be monitored but so do spaces with a