Pressure Relief Valve Maintenance

Pressure relief valves are integral to the safety of pressurized systems.

Pressure relief valves (PRV) protect systems from becoming over-pressurized. A PRV that doesn't function correctly, or at all, can be very damaging. While they are vital to the safe running of mechanical systems, their maintenance is often overlooked.

How to test PRVs

Safety relief valves (SRV) are a type of PRV that have levers, making function testing a manual task. Where this isn't possible, testing needs to occur either in situ, by raising the pressure of the whole system, or by removing the valve and testing it while it is removed. The specific process for testing a make of valve should be part of the installation and maintenance literature provided by the manufacturer.

Frequency

The accepted industry standard for testing PRVs is every six months, but visual checks for leaks or damage can occur more frequently.

Considerations

PRVs should be replaced every five years. Including these valves in an asset tracking maintenance schedule can avoid serious problems caused by PRVs failing to protect large, complex systems.

References

• P.C. McKenzie Company: Pressure Relief Valve Maintenance
• Hanson Technologies: Pressure-Relief Valve Maintenance