flow, or regulate pressure? Look for the information stamped on the valve body by the manufacturer: type of system (oil, water, gas); operating pressure; direction of flow; and other information.

You should also know the operating characteristics of the valve, the type of metal it is made of, and the type of end connection it has. Operating characteristics and material affect the length and type of service a valve can provide. End connections indicate whether or not a particular valve is suited for installation in the system.

Valves should be installed in accessible places and with enough headroom to allow for full operation. Install valves with stems pointing upward whenever possible. A stem position between straight up and horizontal is acceptable, but avoid the inverted position (stem pointing downward). When the valve is installed in the latter position, sediment collects in the bonnet and scores the stem. When a line is subject to freezing temperatures, liquid trapped in the valve bonnet may freeze and rupture it.

Globe valves may be installed with pressure either above or below the disk. It depends upon what method is best for the operation, protection, maintenance, and repair of the machinery. You should ask what would happen if the disk became detached from the stem? This is a major consideration in determining whether pressure should be above the disk or below it. Check the blueprints for the system to see which way the valve should be installed. Pressure on the wrong side of the disk can also cause serious damage.

Valves that have been in constant service over a long period of time eventually require gland tightening, replacing, or a complete overhaul. When a valve is not doing the job, it should be dismantled and all parts inspected. For proper operation, parts must be repaired or replaced.

Spotting-in Valves

Spotting-in is the method used to determine visually whether or not the seat and the disk make good contact with each other. To spot-in a valve seat, first apply a thin coating of prussian blue evenly over the entire machined face surface of the disk. Then insert the disk into the valve and rotate it a quarter turn, using light downward pressure. The prussian blue adheres to the valve seat at those points where the disk makes contact. Figure 4-11 shows what correct and imperfect seals look like when they are spotted-in.

Figure 4-11. - Examples of spotted-in valve seats.

After you have examined the seat surface, wipe all the prussian blue off the disk face surface. Apply a thin, even coat of blue to the contact face of the seat. Again, place the disk on the seat and rotate the disk a quarter of a turn. Examine the blue ring that appears on the disk. It should be unbroken and of uniform width. If the blue ring is broken in any way, the disk does not fit properly.

Grinding-in Valves

Grinding-in is a manual process used to remove small irregularities by grinding together the contact surfaces of the seat and disk. Grinding-in should not be confused with refacing processes in which lathes, valve reseating machines, or power grinders are used to recondition the seating surfaces.

To grind-in a valve, first apply a small amount of grinding compound to the face of the disk. Then insert the disk into the valve and rotate the disk back and forth about a quarter of a turn. Shift the disk-seat relationship from time to time, so the disk is moved gradually, in increments, through several rotations. During the grinding-in process, the grinding compound is gradually displaced from between the seat and disk surfaces; therefore, it is necessary to stop every minute or so to replenish the compound. When you do this, wipe both the seat and the disk clean before applying the new compound to the disk face.

When it appears that the irregularities have been removed, check your work by spotting-in the disk to the seat in the manner described previously.

Grinding-in is also used to follow up all machine work on valve seats or disks. When the seat and disk are first spotted-in after they have been machined, the