Sanitary check valves are used in several different applications. If you are just getting familiar with them you might not know that they are common household items.
Check valves are often small, inexpensive, and easy to use. They are great for occasions where you need to evacuate process pipelines.
They are widely used in sanitary and industrial processes. Sanitary check valves prevent backflow of product. But when do you need to use one?
Keep reading to find out.
What Is a Check Valve?
A sanitary check valve is a device designed to allow liquid to flow in one direction while preventing backflow. They are a manual valve which means they work automatically without any human intervention.
In sanitary processing applications, these check valves are normally AISI 301 or 316L stainless and are CIP’able.
Who Uses a Sanitary Valve?
Check valves are widely used in the food and beverage industry. Yet, you can also find them in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and chemical processing.
They can be found in many places such as condensate lines, steam lines, evaporators, gas purges, and pump discharge lines.
Types of Check Valves for Sanitary Processing
Ball check valves and spring check valves are most often used in sanitary applications. Below are descriptions of the two types of check valves sold by a sanitary check valve supplier.
Ball Check Valves
The ball check valves use a ball inside its body which stops the fluid from moving when the ball is dropped into its path.
Some advantages to this type of check valve are as follows.
- The ball rotates in the fluid which makes it self-cleaning
- It is long-lasting because you can recoat the ball as it wears instead of replacing the entire part
- that can mount both horizontally or vertically
- It does not need much maintenance
The ball check valve disadvantages are few. The valve is not always leakproof. And, in some cases, the ball mechanism has become stuck or even pushed into the line.
Spring Check Valves
The spring check valve uses a shutter, a disk, or a ball to stop fluid from flowing in a pipe. A spring pushes the mechanism closed and stops the liquid.
There are many advantages to the spring check valve including these.
- It has easy installation
- This requires very little maintenance
- It can mount both horizontally or vertically
- It is small enough to fit in tight spaces
The spring check valves only have one disadvantage. They will not prevent water hammer. Water hammer, also known as hydraulic shock, is when there is a pressure surge that causes the liquid in a pipe to change direction or stop.
Where to Find a Sanitary Check Valve
A good sanitary check valve supplier can be hard to find. But, if you know what you are looking for and what you need that valve to accomplish you will find one in no time.
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