Safety relief valves are used in various industries and sectors, including gas and oil, wastewater, manufacturing, aviation, power generation, and more. As one of the most critical failsafe devices used in the process and production setting, safety relief valves protect your systems, property, and team members.

Safety relief valves- known as SRVs or pressure relief valves -PRVs – are designed to respond to excess pressure within a process line. Under a specified level of excess pressure, valves open to relieve pressure by venting fluid or gas from the over-pressurized component.

SRV diagnostics and testing are procedures that help ensure valves’ ongoing integrity and performance. Periodic valve testing is critical for a variety of reasons, including the protection of people and facilities. Today, we explore some of the options that exist for valve testing and determine which options are the most practical and reliable, depending on your circumstances.

The Role of Safety Relief Valves

Safety relief valves are used to help avoid specific and unwanted results. At best, an excess of pressure can cause a process to fail. At worst, it can result in damage, significant injury, or even death in the event of an explosion or fire.

Typically, SRVs provide a safe outlet for fluid or gas under pressure if it should happen to reach its maximum set pressure limit. When the set point is reached, the valve opens, allowing the fluid or gas to escape to an auxiliary path reducing the line pressure and a return to the desired point.

What is Safety Relief Valve Testing?

Safety relief valve testing refers to those processes used to evaluate the condition and performance of the equipment.

Valves must be tested at their specified setpoint, including standard operating temperature and pressure. Under pressure, a technician uses appropriate testing equipment to verify that the valve cracks (or pops) at the set pressure and reseals when the pressure reduces to a specified point.

However, it is not enough to identify existing valve problems or shortcomings in performance. A critical testing component is tuning or adjusting valves to ensure they perform correctly and per specifications.

Why Is Valve Testing Important?

Testing valves is vital for multiple reasons. One of the most pressing reasons is to identify any potential issues before they have the opportunity to become significant problems. Identifying and addressing such matters helps prevent costly downtime and reduces the potential for dangerous accidents.

Valve testing also allows you to identify problems that might otherwise go undetected until it’s too late, saving money you might otherwise have to spend on costly emergency repair and replacement. Also important, valve troubleshooting software provides you with critical insight into potential performance issues.

What Is the Best Way to Test Safety Relief Valves?

The intervals in which your relief valves require comprehensive testing can vary. However, periodic testing is critical no matter what your circumstances might be. Whenever you need relief valve testing, you have several options to consider.

One approach is to take the valve out of action, disassemble the system, and send the valve out for testing. Rarely a practical option, as most processes are critical to ongoing operations. The time required to achieve this goal can come with high costs, no matter what industry you serve.

Another potential approach is to use a third-party valve testing company. Although somewhat preferable to the first approach, this option also leaves something to be desired. The services of third-party valve testing companies can be costly and challenging to schedule testing that works for your operation.

The third option is to test in-house with your equipment. With the right valve testing equipment and software, you can test on your own terms and schedule.

How to Find the Best Safety Relief Valve Testing Systems

You might be surprised to learn that superior valve testing technology is available – and practical – for virtually anyone who requires it.

SofTek Engineering is the leading provider of control valve diagnostics and testing equipment.

Our valve testing solutions are built to provide maximum value and return on investment. Our products, including Profiler and Profiler Mini, are portable and highly customizable. The advanced capabilities of our products are the ideal way to analyze valve performance in line and in real-time. Designed for maximum versatility, the Profiler family of valve testing systems provides a high level of durability, even in the most challenging environments.

Contact us today to learn more about our products or to schedule a personalized safety relief valve testing equipment consultation.