Category Archive: Check Valves

API 6D -24^th Edition Certification:
Why it’s Important for Quality and Safety of Your Check Valves

What is the API Q1 ninth edition and API 6D 24^th edition monogram specification?

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is a trade association that has led the development of petroleum and petrochemical equipment and operating standards. Its API Monogram Program verifies that manufacturers are operating in compliance with industry standards.

The API Q1 ninth edition specification establishes the API Quality Management System requirements necessary for organizations to consistently and reliably manufacture products in accordance with API or other specifications for the use in the petroleum and natural gas industry.

The API 6D 24^th edition specification defines the requirements for the design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and documentation of valves for application in pipeline and piping systems for the petroleum and natural gas industries.

This API 6D 24^th edition specification holds hydrostatic and pneumatic testing to a new higher standard, unlike the less API 598 testing, API 6D testing requires increased pressure testing durations, test medium rust inhibitor injection, medium pH monitoring  and more stringent design and manufacturing process control, as well as packaging requirements to reduce valve damage from transportation.

When requested by the purchaser, an API 6D monogram valve manufacturer must meet the strict testing and documentation requirements to insure the valves performance under designed operational pressure and temperature conditions.

Purchasing valves under the specification ensures greater reliability and safety for equipment and personnel.

Download our API 6D Certificate

Common Industries that Require API 6D

When transmitting raw materials and potentially harmful chemicals, it is critical that check valves are tested for proper safety and functionality. Therefore, the API 6D certification is commonly required for valves used in petroleum, natural gas and electrical generation industries. Specific industries requiring API 6D include:

• Natural Gas Transmission: Check valves are frequently built into natural gas transmission pipelines to prevent the occurrence of reverse flow. They act as critical components within these systems, as improper flow could result in dangerous leakages, contamination, explosions, or fires.

• Petroleum Production and Refining: Transforming crude oil into refined products for consumer industries requires a multi-step chemical process that adheres to strict standards. Check valves are used in a range of petroleum-related applications, including discharge compressors, cooling towers, water treatment, pumps, generators, and boilers.

DFT Valves Built to API 6D 24^th Edition Standards

In order to meet the needs of our clients in the natural gas and petroleum industries, we have certified our GLC® and PDC® check valve manufacturing processes to meet API 6D 24^th Ed. specifications. By improving design, manufacture, assembly, testing, and documentation processes, we’re able to provide a higher level of quality and safety.

• GLC® Silent Check Valve: This silent center-guided, spring-assisted flange valve can be used with several types of fluids and can operate under a wide range of temperature and pressure combinations. This check valve is API 6D 24^th certified and available in various materials and sizes.

• PDC® Check Valve: A silent, non-slam valve that is specifically designed to allow gases to flow in one direction through a pulse-dampening chamber on the discharge side of a compressor. Our PDC® model is API 6D 24^th certified and available in a range of materials and sizes.

• DFT is in the process of adding other valve models to the list of API 6D 24^th certified valves. Contact DFT if you require API 6D 24^th Edition Certification.

Online Case Studies

To learn more about how DFT’s API 6D certified check valves perform across industries, check out our application success stories.

Maintenance and Replacement Blog Series: SCV-R® Check Valves for High Cracking Pressure

At DFT® Inc., our SCV-R® Check Valves exemplify our commitment to providing products that can withstand the toughest environments, including applications with high cracking pressure. These products are fully comparable to their counterpart, the DFT® Model SCV®, but with enhanced features that allow them to endure high cracking pressure conditions—including a spring-assisted, non-slam design that reduces or eliminates water hammer.

An Ideal Solution for High Cracking Pressure Applications

Many advanced applications require check valves for high cracking pressure. Cracking pressure is the point at which the valve opens and the media is introduced to the system. Using a spring-assisted design, DFT® Model SCV-R® Check Valves are ideal for such advanced applications. With versatile, corrosion-resistant features, they are also cost-effective, making them a preferred option in a number of uses.

SCV-R® Check Valves Also Solve Water Hammer

Water hammer is another common problem affecting applications that require check valves, often signified by a loud hammering sound coming from pipes. The condition arises when valves either shut too quickly or pumps suddenly shut down, causing the moving water to backflow when encountering the closed valve.

This causes loud noises and potential damage to pipes.  Fast-closing SCV-R® Check Valves help to eliminate this problem; for further details, download our eBook, “Understanding Water Hammer.”

A Wide Array of Advantages

The high-quality design and reliable materials of SCV-R® Check Valves provide a host of advantages, including:

• High versatility allows valves to be used in both vertical and horizontal installations.
• Easy maintenance helps to extend service life.
• Stainless steel construction provides the utmost strength and corrosion resistance—even in the harshest environments.
• Usability in many different applications, including hydraulic lines, boilers, pumps, and compressor discharge, makes the valves incredibly versatile.

SCV-R® Check Valves are also available with a full array of options, some of which include:

• 316 stainless steel springs
• A soft seat
• Hastelloy® or Alloy 20 body and seat material
• Repair and field conversion kits

Download the SCV-R® Cut Sheet for Details

To explore our full selection of durable, cost-effective SCV-R® Check Valves, download a free copy of the SCV-R® cut sheet. You will learn how these self-contained valves provide unparalleled reliability and service life for virtually any liquid, gas, or steam application.

Valve Basics Seminar Recap

Each year, the Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) hosts a series of highly regarded Valve Basics Seminars & Exhibits to give industry associates — ranging from engineering students to experienced professionals looking to broaden their subject knowledge — a hands-on crash course in valves.

Last month’s three-day seminar hosted approximately 70 participants at the Embassy Suites Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, IL. The dynamic program featured several speaker presentations highlighting different aspects of valves and valve safety, as well as the iconic Valve Petting Zoo, where attendees participated in hands-on demonstrations of what they’d learned earlier in the classroom.

Getting Hands-on with Valves

The Petting Zoo, a relatively new addition to Valves 101 developed based on past participant feedback, turned out to be the highlight of the program. On the second day of the seminar, after each speaker had an opportunity to present, they showcased their topics in action as attendees rotated around nine different stations to gain further understanding through hands-on learning.

“The valve petting zoo was outstanding,” said one attendee. “I learned a great deal by seeing how valves actually function and operate.”

Valves, Actuators & Controls 101 with DFT®

DFT®’s own Director of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Kane, and Regional Sales Manager, Bud Volz; have had the honor of presenting the Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits for the past several years. This year, Kane’s course segment in “Valves, Actuators & Controls 101” focused on the subject of check valves, the importance of check valve sizing, and preventing water hammer.

In his presentation, Kane discussed how correctly sized check valves can minimize unnecessary costs by preventing low flow situations that lead to valve failure, as well as high velocity flows that can cause high-pressure shock waves (commonly known as water hammer. Students are given an unbiased presentation regarding the features and benefits of all the popular types of check valves.

Next Stop: Texas

Valves 101 will be stopping at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel in Houston, Texas on October 18-20 for the next installment of the Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits program. To date, over 1,500 people have attended these workshops; the VMA looks forward to expanding this number and continuing to spread the word on the importance of valves and valve safety.

To find out more about the next Valve Basics Seminar & Exhibits program and how to attend, visit the VMA.org website.

Learn more about check valves and how to avoid common sizing mistakes by downloading DFT’s free eBook, “Common Mistakes in Check Valve Sizing.”

Maintenance and Replacement Blog Series: Preventing Water Hammer with SCV® Check Valves

For more than 70 years, DFT® Inc. has focused on manufacturing dependable and high-quality check valves across all industries. We have a long history of solving valve problems and preventing failures, exemplified by our line of SCV® Check Valves.

Specially designed for tight shutoff, high cycling, and system protection from the effects of water hammer, these valves are relied on for a variety of liquid, gas, and steam applications.  Equipped with corrosion-resistant features, SCV Valves are an economical and consistently dependable option.

Designed for Optimal Water Hammer Resistance

Water hammer is a persistent and potentially highly damaging problem that is found in all types of piping systems. It occurs when moving fluids are forced to suddenly stop; once stopped, the fluid’s momentum creates a pressure wave that flows throughout the closed pipe system.

The resulting pressure spikes can cause significant damage to domestic and industrial piping systems. However, this damaging phenomenon can be prevented using specialty products, such as SCV® Check Valves. For more information, download our water hammer eBook.

Advantages and Features of SCV® Check Valves

With simple yet rugged construction, SCV® Check Valves offer a full array of features:

• Protection from Water Hammer — This valve model was specifically designed to protect all types of applications from water hammer. It features a non-slam, spring-assisted design that provides a tight shutoff.
• Simple Design — The rugged valve construction consists of a body, seat, spring, edge-guided disc, and body seal, which is engineered to handle at least a million cycles.
• Best Quality Materials — Built to withstand the harshest industrial environments, SCV® Check Valves are constructed from the finest quality materials, including:
  • ASTM A240 316 for the disc
  • Inconel® X-7650 for the spring
  • ASTM A351 CF8M for the seat and body
  • Zelon® O-Ring for the seal, with optional seal-welded body joint that can handle temperatures up to 700°F
  • Soft Seat, NPT, or Socket Weld Ends are available
    • Options include 316SS springs, body seal weld, soft seat, Alloy 20 or Hastelloy C body & seat (ASME 300)
  • All Sizes Available — SCV® Check Valves are available in sizes ranging from 1/3” to 3”
  • Built to Handle Most Media — The valves handle 750 cold working pressure (CWP) and 3600 psi, providing tight shut off capabilities for gas, liquid, or steam

Choose SCV® Check Valves for Your Applications

Easy-maintenance check valves from DFT® are available for installation in both vertical and horizontal configurations. Customers in a wide range of industries, from mining and steam transmission to primary metals and power generation, rely on our check valves for many of their applications.

To learn more about the features of SCV® Check Valves, download our SCV® cut sheet.  Additional information is available on our Threaded In-Line Check Valves catalog page or by contacting the DFT® team directly.

Maintenance & Replacement Valves Blog Series:
Vacuum Breakers and Their Applications

Valves play an integral part in many applications performed by anyone from a manufacturer to an engineer to a construction manager. The basic function of a valve is to control both the flow and pressure within a process or system. The functions of a valve include:

• Regulating a flow or process pressure
• Relieving a system of pressure
• Stopping or starting a flow
• Increasing or reducing a flow
• Controlling the flow’s direction

Keeping this in mind, a Vacuum Breaker Check Valve provides effective protection against collapse of pressure vessels, tanks and piping. This particular valve prevents condensate “back-up” when equipment is shut down or inlet steam is reduced by modulating control valves. Within a piping system, DFT® Vacuum Breakers can perform helpful tasks, such as:

• Breaking a siphon
• Preventing pipe collapse during transient pressure drops
• Providing additional air on downstream side of check valves to help prevent water hammer

This variation of a check valve, or Vacuum Breaker, features a spring-assisted silent closure. If there is no pressure on the valve, the spring pushes the disc into a closed position. Other features include:

• 1” to 4” size range (MNPT)
• 450 to 6000 CWP
• Threaded O.D. with unthreaded inlet bore
• Stainless steel construction
• Horizontal or vertical installation
• Tight shutoff – lapped disc and seat
• Inconel X-750 Spring
• soft seat options

The wide variety of DFT® Vacuum Breakers makes it easy to find and install the one that’s correct for any application. Beyond their use in building water systems, they can be used in anything from chemical processing to power generation to pharmaceutical applications.

With so many applications requiring a strict no-backflow function, we’ve compiled a list of codes and standards, as well as industry applications into a downloadable catalog. Select the button below to download our free eBook, Vacuum Breaker Check Valves: Your Defense Against Pipe Collapse & Pressure Vessel Damage.