The normal service life of stainless steel gate valves is about 10-20 years. Choosing 316 stainless steel material has a longer service life than 304 stainless steel because the former is more corrosion-resistant!
The main factors affecting the service life of stainless steel gate valves are the characteristics of the medium and usage habits:
Regarding the characteristics of the medium, such as strong corrosive media like acidic and alkaline solutions, the lifespan of stainless steel gate valves can be reduced to 3-5 years, and 316L material should be selected; For example, the accumulation of scale in hard water scaling areas can cause valve opening and closing to be stuck, resulting in a 30% reduction in lifespan.
In terms of usage habits, if there is no action for a long time (more than six months), the lubricating grease will fail and the sealing performance will decrease by 50%; If it is frequently opened and closed (more than ten times a day), it will accelerate the wear of the valve stem and shorten its service life to 5-8 years.
How to extend the service life? Regularly lubricate the valve stem (replenish food grade grease every quarter to prevent jamming) and inspect the sealing surface (pressure test the sealing performance annually, replace the sealing ring immediately if there is leakage). In terms of storage and start stop, if the shutdown exceeds one month, the valve needs to be manually opened and closed 2-3 times a month; Long term storage should be kept in a semi open state to avoid plastic deformation of the sealing ring.