Axelson Relief Valve Maintenance

Many of our customers have sent us their pilots for re-conditioning. If you are interested in this service, please call us at 877-244-4883

Your Axelson Pilots should be cycle tested once a month or more frequently if your service requires so. We suggest disassembling the pilots and inspecting all the parts. Replace seals annually or as required. Contact our parts department for the correct replacement parts.

For some unknown reason, relief valves are often considered maintenance free

For some unknown reason, relief valves are often considered maintenance free. It is assumed by some if the valve has not relieved in a year or more that everything is satisfactory and no reason should exist to investigate and determine if any maintenance is necessary.

All type valves, spring-loaded; diaphragm, integral pilot and others should be examined and tested periodically to determine if maintenance is required. Usually visual examination of the component parts is sufficient; however the valve must be re-assembled and set before returning to operation.

The use of some types of relief valves makes this field maintenance an impossibility as lapping compounds are required to grind the seat, and field-testing and adjustments are practically impossible. Valves that cannot be field maintained must be removed and carried to a test shop to ascertain if any maintenance is required.

Maintenance of relief valves should coincide with prescribed maintenance of other associated equipment, such as motor valves and controllers.

Relief valves should be field tested 

Relief valves should be field tested periodically to determine if setting are correct. Some personnel pass by relief valves daily and in most cases assume they are protected. This might go on for years without testing the valve and yet the one time in many that the relief valve is called upon to function, corrosion or internal malfunction will not permit the valve to open and a dangerous overpressure occurs.

Testing of almost any valve can be performed in the field by use of nitrogen or a high-pressure connection on upstream side of meter station and a long high-pressure hose to the relief valve. It is necessary that a block valve be installed below the relief valve. Attach the high-pressure hose to the connection and increase the pressure until the valve relieves. Naturally it will be necessary to read a pressure gage on another connection within the spool.
If a block valve is not installed, to ascertain if the relief will function, even though the pressure setting cannot be determined, lift the lever, or in the case of U. S. Industries Relief Valve, lift the stem on the relief control. This causes the valve to go through a cycle, and at least you will know that all the internal parts are free. On installations of this type, take advantage of opportunities to test the valve when pressure is off the stem.
U. S. Industries Relief Valves can be very easily checked and pressure adjustments made in the field by use of a very inexpensive Test Fixture. The fixture is so designed to check and adjust the blowdown and relief controls and does not require removal of the complete valve for setting. U. S. Industries Relief Valve Test Fixture instructions are available through P. C. McKenzie Company.