Do you work within an organization which needs to quickly and easily adjust the flow of chemicals or liquids which could be dangerous to health? Unlike normal everyday valves, the butterfly valve allows you to provide additional protection in areas of dangerous interactions with flow control.
What Are They
A sanitary butterfly valve is a flow control device which can be used to control liquids and allow users to minimise the risk of bacterial and cross contamination between the user and the liquid in question. They are a simple, yet effective design which prevents dangerous fluids or gases from coming into contact with skin. You may have seen these under your kitchen sink, they are commonly used as part of the water shutoff. They are used due to their superior flow control and reliability when it comes to avoiding leaks, they work by moving a metal disk over the butterfly control valves to stop and start the flow of many liquids, chemicals or gasses.
Often manufactured with stainless steel, they are durable and long life without the need for replacements or downtime for maintenance. They can come in different forms but they all provide the same general usage and objective features.
Why Should You Use One?
In industry, there are often times when handling dangerous or harmful substances which may cause injury to workers. As well as being a potentially painful occurrence, workers will have to be dismissed if injury from the incident is bad enough. A sanitary butterfly valve helps to minimise the risk of injury, as well as keeping the risk of cross-contamination (in places where this may be a problem) to a minimum by keeping the users’ hands away from the valve.
Food and alcohol industries use them for their potential for quick shutoff and opening. This helps to minimise wastage when dealing with many patrons at once. They also boast durability advantages when combined with rubber seals which ensure that they will have an extended service life to minimise ongoing costs.
Why Not Just Use a Tap
For the unaware, it may seem like an odd choice to use a common tap rather than a sanitary butterfly valve. Taps do not allow the flow control that a butterfly valve is able to accommodate. For everyday usage, it may not be necessary but for industrial applications, there is no safer way of ensuring flow control.
Extended handles allow the user to distance themselves from the splash point of the liquid or chemical that they are trying to access. Placing yourself outside of dangerous areas will help prevent unnecessary injury from poor flow control. The butterfly valve will help keep your workplace safe and your employees safer.
How Much Are They
Sanitary butterfly valves are cheaply priced and can easily be accommodated for any budget. Priced at around E30 they can vary based on the design but generally don’t fluctuate unless you are trying to find an extreme strength fitting which can cost significantly more.
You can find butterfly valves at any reputable DIY, plumbing or online retailers which support pipe-based furniture. If you have any questions about your specific situation, it may be best to turn up in-person to a store and ask a representative for advice on your purchase. Sites such as Amazon are currently offering the product for cheap and with a range of budgets and design options for you to choose from.
Pressure
One thing which many users will be worried about is pressure. Due to the flow control of these valves, they obviously need to be able to withstand significant and consistent pressure from the pipe before the valve. Butterfly valves are able to withstand 1000psi of pressure but this will vary based on the quality and manufacturing of each valve. Remember to evaluate before each purchase to make sure it meets the required specifications.
Make sure the valve you choose is able to withstand your desired pressure. Not allowing this will result in leaks and replacements in a short time span. The saying “buy cheap buy twice” applies here and could result in serious risk to you, and your home or business if you fail to supply a decent valve. Be sure to check the psi rating of your chosen valve and buy from a reputable retailer to ensure that they reach the standards for quality and regulations for the industry your business resides within.
Automated Systems
Sanitary butterfly valves can be included in automated systems. This means that they can be operated via an automatic process rather than manually operated. Choosing this option allows you to remove all risk from the user as they don’t need to be in the range of splash while still maintaining the usage capacity of the value itself. In certain industrial applications where particularly, potent substances are being used, automated systems might be a mandatory purchase. However, in food or plumbing systems they may be less essential! Expect automated systems to be more expensive than their manual counterparts and they may be more disruptive to install, however, the safety value of automation is much higher and with proper user care will allow much smoother and precise operation. There are many different service companies offering this service at varying costs but unlike manual valves, it may require specialists to wire the mechanics of an automated valve. There are many different service companies offering this service at varying costs but unlike manual valves, it may require specialists to wire the mechanics of an automated valve.
Feeling Informed
We hope that this has highlighted many of the advantages of switching to a sanitary butterfly valve and will allow you to continue to make efforts for a safe and efficient working environment. Although there are many technical theories for valves and pipes, we have covered the basic understandings, you may need to grasp additional details based on your specific situation, please consult a specialist for an informed decision on your value requirements.
We hope that you will be able to make an informed decision on your next purchase and hope that you will find a positive business impact stemming from one of the many sanitary butterfly valves available on the market today.
