Whether you work in the natural gas industry or another industry that involves pipelines that transport materials, there is a good chance that you will work with globe valves on a regular basis. These common valves are usually situated on pipelines to disrupt the flow of materials at any given moment,m but they are not without flaws or immortal. Take a look at some of the common problems with globe valves that mean you will have to replace them as soon as possible. 

Problem: The valve is showing signs of cavitation. 

Cavitation can be caused by poor flow of high-velocity fluids through the globe valve. What basically happens is, the interior of the globe of the valve starts to wear away, which changes the rate of flow through the valve itself when it is open and may even prevent the valve from completely disrupting flow when it is fully off. You can't always see cavitation problems from the outside, but what you will see is a change in flow rates and potential problems with complete shutdown. This problem is irreversible and does mean the valve has to be replaced. 

Problem: The valve's globe has a leak. 

One of the more common problems that come along with prolonged cavitation is the globe itself will eventually wear down enough that it breaks. You may first see a slight indention or crack, which will eventually lead to a leak. Of course, if the globe valve has a leak because of a problem in the globe, it will have to be replaced to prevent the loss of materials. In some cases, you can use solder to repair a slight leak, but this is only a temporary solution as the soldering materials will also wear away pretty quickly. 

Problem: The valve control lever breaks off. 

Because the lever that controls the valve is the mobile part of the unit, it is not uncommon for the lever to break off at some point during use. Stainless steel valves are far less prone to this kind of problem because the stainless steel is so resilient, but valves made out of things like iron or brass can be prone to breakage because the material is prone to corrosion and may bend easier. In some situations, these levers are designed in a way that they can be replaced without having to replace the entire unit, but this is not always the case. 

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