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• Texas Slam Dance! - New Valve Technology Eliminates Valve Slam

• Silent Treatment – Valve Technology upgrade at Mt. Horeb, WI wastewater treatment plant operates quietly and efficiently.

• PVF Industry Rocked By Material Increases

For More Information:
Megan Rapaduski Larson, Marketing Project Coordinator
P: 630-993-4023 | F: 630-941-8042
E-Mail: mkl@valmatic.com

Silent Treatment – Valve Technology upgrade at Mt. Horeb, WI wastewater treatment plant operates quietly and efficiently.

By: Megan Rapaduski Larson

Michael Goltz, Superintendent of the Mt. Horeb, WI Wastewater Treatment Plant, had a problem. The cushion swing check valves installed in one of his eight lift stations kept slamming and clogging. This lift station precedes 10,000 feet of pipe leading to the treatment plant, and was one of the worst places to have a clog. The station is on the edge of a residential neighborhood whose inhabitants would be none too pleased if raw sewage began to creep around their homes. The valves in question were allowing sewage to build up on top of the disc, restricting the effectiveness of the valve and causing it to slam. Sewage would build up on the disc, pushing the disc further down into the flow creating incredible head loss, clogging, and constant slamming. The cushion swing check valve that was being used had a non-metallic insert for the seal. Every time a piece of plastic, wood, or any other sewage solid would nick or chip the cork, the seal would begin to weep. The Mt. Horeb Wastewater treatment plant processes up to 600,000 gallons a day, and they couldn’t afford to have valves not working.

That manufacturer of the cushion swing check valves recommended solution was to have the valve removed from the line, shipped back to them for repair, then shipped back to the customer for reinsertion. This could lead to a downtime of over a month, leaving the lift station down to 1 pump and no back-up coverage for a pump failure. Mr. Goltz and his crew resorted to repairing the valves on their own to decrease downtime, which was not a small endeavor. In order to repair the valves, they would have to be completely removed from the line, then the shaft would have to be removed and repaired, then everything would have to reassembled. The total process took roughly 4 hours.

Mr. Goltz decided it was time for a change, researched available valves, and learned about the Val-Matic Swing-Flex® Check Valve. The Swing-Flex was designed specifically to combat the frustrations he was facing. The contour of the body provided for a 100% flow area to minimize head loss, and due to the innovative disc design and domed access port, the flow of the sewage is able to self-flush any potential clogs and prevent them from forming. With the disc being the only moving part, there were no internal components to get in the way and the valve was very easy to install. The Swing-Flex was designed with an angled seat, resulting in a 35 degree disc stroke, less than half of a traditional weight and lever check valve. This short disc stroke combined with the Memory-Flex® action of the disc serves to reduce the closing time of the valve and minimizes the flow reversal to quell any resultant water hammer. “After the installation, when the valve closes from the force main, there is no measurable sound. I couldn’t even hear it shut and you can’t get any better than that,” Mr. Goltz commented.

After the success of the Swing-Flex on one of the two pump lines in the lift station, Mr. Goltz decided to replace the remaining traditional cushion swing check valve with another Swing-Flex. The switch was easy and expedient. In just about an hour, the old valve had been removed and the Swing-Flex was being tested for flange tightness.

“The Swing-Flex was very simple to install, there were no mechanicals to worry about, and the valves are simple,” said John Klein, Senior Lead Operator of the treatment plant.

Wastewater treatment plant operators are all too familiar with the labor and cost associated with using equipment of inconsistent quality, or inefficient design. Whether the plant is servicing a teeming metropolis, or a charming little hamlet like Mt. Horeb, equipment problems can be devastating. By carefully evaluating the unique requirements of each application, operators can be assured that the right equipment can alleviate some of the major inconveniences associated with antiquated technology.

As seen in the October issue of “Water and Wastes Digest.”

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Texas Slam Dance! - New Valve Technology Eliminates Valve Slam

By: Megan Rapaduski Larson

System operators have their work cut out for them when the pumping applications deal with high head, surge tanks, or multiple pumps.   A North Texas Wastewater treatment plant was learning this first hand.   The North Texas utility serves four cities, the largest having between 70,000 and 80,000 people.

It's lift station contains four 8 in. vertical centrifugal sewage pumps that feed a 600 ft. long, 48 in. diameter force main.   Online since 1987, the station was equipped with traditional weight and lever air cushioned swing check valves .

“The check valves were breaking down.   We repaired them, but they kept breaking internally.   We were getting a lot of water hammer.   This station takes a lot of flow, so it was hampering us.   The station was down until we could get parts in or have them machined,” said a system operator for the plant.  

The existing valves, from multiple manufacturers, were unreliable and it was difficult to find something to fit the unique circumstances of a vertical application.   The existing air-cushioned swing check valves had to be rigged with additional external springs and cables in an attempt to combat slamming.   The valves were closing hard, and a 1-year old replacement valve had just broken a shaft pin.  The installation was too dynamic for an ordinary check valve.   The tall vertical run of pipe after the pumps created extremely fast flow reversals and water hammer after power failure.   The existing valves had weighted levers with cables and springs anchored to the floor which made for a dangerous situation

 “This is one of the biggest suppliers of water in North Texas and the largest processor of wastewater,” noted John Bolender, President of Valve and Equipment, Huffman TX, a manufacturer's representative.   “They came to me looking for replacement valves that could replace slamming cushion swing check valves.”

Enter the Val-Matic SURGEBUSTER! Check Valve.   Specifically engineered to handle high head applications, multiple pump systems, and systems known to surge, the SURGEBUSTER was designed to handle extreme applications.  

The SURGEBUSTER achieves a rapid closure through a short disc stroke of 35° and still maintains a 100% flow area.   What makes the SURGEBUSTER unique is the patented Disc Accelerator, the next generation in valve technology.   The Disc Accelerator is a precision formed stainless steel mechanism that closes the disc rapidly, avoiding any slamming by flow reversal while also allowing the disc to be stabilized under flow conditions.   The accelerator is fully enclosed and out of the flow path.   The valve fully meets ANSI/AWWA C508.

“When they told me about their application, I suggested the Val-Matic SURGEBUSTER.   I knew they hadn't seen anything like it,” said Mr. Bolender.

“We saw the valve and thought it was a good design,” the system operator explained.

The SURGEBUSTER was installed in place of the traditional swing check valve after a vertical elbow on the vertical discharge of an 8” pump.   The results were so quiet, the flow could only be heard by placing your ear against the valve.   The only way to tell that there was flow through the valve was by the top mounted valve indicator.

The traditional weight and lever swing check valves are now being phased out of the facility, and the Val-Matic SURGEBUSTER check valve has proved to provide some unexpected benefits.   All SURGEBUSTER valves come with a fusion bonded epoxy coating on both the interior and exterior of the valve which is highly resistant to the corrosion sometimes associated with wastewater applications.   And, due to the fact that there is no external weight and lever on the valve, the external moving hazard was eliminated making for a safer working environment.

“We were amazed at how quiet it was!   After that we were pretty much sold.   Another valve went down and I replaced it [with a SURGEBUSTER].   As the other 2 go down I will replace those as well,” the system operator declared.

For more information on the SURGEBUSTER and to view tests conducted with the valve, contact valves@valmatic.com .   Copies of the test are currently available on CD-Rom, DVD, and VHS.

PVF Industry Rocked By Material Increases

By: Phillip O. Landon

The pipe, valve and fittings industry is getting hit with some of the highest material cost increases it has ever seen.   The cost of ductile and gray iron castings as well as steel products has escalated significantly over the last several months.

There are several drivers behind this.

• Cost and availability of raw materials. Scrap steel and coke are in rising demand with decreasing availability.   Scrap/Pig Iron has increased dramatically as the following graph from metalprices.com illustrates:

Metalprices.com commentary:  HOT 
Pig and scrap iron prices established in early February reached new historical highs. #1 Heavy Melting Scrap sold to Korea for $308/MT.  Included in this price is  freight to Korea estimated to be $85/MT which is over three times the cost from a year ago. These freight rates are trending higher. Current pig iron prices quoted to USA consumers are in the low $340's per GT delivered.

USA scrap iron prices are now higher than export numbers from both coasts.

• Fuel

Fuel prices are rapidly rising effecting the cost of producing castings as well as the cost of shipping them.  Fuel increases are also impacting the cost of shipping finish goods.

• Iraq

The US government has bought significant amounts of available shipping capacity to provide supplies to Iraq. The decreased capacity has spurred price increases and surcharges.

• China, Russia, India

Asia in general and China specifically have turned inward to meet their own needs.   The growth in China has been compared to the American Industrial Revolution.   Once a major exporter of steel, China is now cornering the market on scrap metals and coke to meet their own internal needs. Russia and India are doing the same to a lesser degree.

All of these factors have converged to create a near panic in these sectors.   What customers thought was firm pricing is no longer firm.   Price increases are being issued as well as surcharges.   Raw material suppliers and steel companies are providing a base price at time of order and telling customers final pricing will be provided at time of shipment.   With the lack of capacity, companies are refusing orders for materials higher than historical quantities.

This is an unprecedented situation.   Your patience and understanding are appreciated as we at Val-Matic make every effort to minimize the impact on our valued customers.   Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or to discuss.

Further information may be obtained from the following links:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2004-02-20-steel_x.htm

http://www.meps.co.uk/hnews.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0403010110mar01,1,1186214.story

http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/business/1077791716314950.xml?bxbiz

http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/business/1078396444141821.xml?bxbiz

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04046/273262.stm