How Do You Maintain A Valve Gearbox?
Maintaining Your Valve Gearboxes Is Essential To Easy Valve Operation. Without Proper Maintenance, Using A Gearbox To Open and Close Your Valve Can Become Difficult.
Valve Gearbox Maintenance Tips
- Regular inspection: Conduct routine visual inspections for signs of wear, damage or corrosion on the gearbox body and external components.
- Lubrication: Make sure any moving parts are properly lubricated, routinely clean off old grease that may have accumulated dirt and reapply fresh lubricant as recommended by the manufacturer (in the O&M manual provided).
- Cleaning: Remove any debris, dirt or other foreign materials from the gearbox interior and exterior.
- Tighten connections: Check and tighten bolts connecting the gearbox to the valve and pipe to prevent any leakage.
- Seals and gaskets: Inspect seals and gaskets for signs of wear or damage, replace them if necessary to maintain proper sealing.
- Operational testing: Regularly operate the valve to ensure smooth movement and proper functioning of the gearbox.
Can valve gearboxes be used in harsh outdoor environments?
A valve gearbox's suitability for use in harsh outdoor environments depends on its construction materials.
T-T’s valve gearboxes are suitable for outdoor installation, featuring a ductile iron body with a durable fusion bonded epoxy coating for corrosion resistance, as well as IP67 rating for total protection against solids ingress and temporary protection when submerged up to 1 metre.
On request, our gearboxes can be manufactured in an alternative material for increased corrosion resistance and enhanced ingress protection ratings.
Benefits of Valve Gearbox Maintenance
Preventative valve gearbox maintenance is vital to ensuring:
- Operational efficiency: If gearboxes are not routinely cleaned or lubricated they will not work as intended, making opening and closing your valves more difficult.
- Longevity: Reactive maintenance happens after an issue has occurred, preventative maintenance prevents premature wear and tear that leads to these issues and can save you money on bigger repairs or replacements.
- Safety: Following a set maintenance schedule ensures your valve gearbox is in optimal operating condition, minimising health and safety risks posed by not being able to open or close a valve as required.
Friendly Expert Advice
For gearbox and general valve support, speak to a member of our dedicated T-T Flow® department by calling 01630 647200, emailing ttflow@ttpumps.com or completing our online enquiry form.