Most manufacturers don’t include isolation valves needed for safety checks-remove
Most manufacturers don’t include isolation valves needed for safety checks. It’s a situation we run into time and again. We’ve been called to perform an annual safety check on an oven or furnace, only to discover there are insufficient test connections or isolation valves. According to NFPA 86 2007 8.7.2.3, “Means for testing all fuel gas safety shutoff valves for valve seat leakage shall be installed.”
But most of the time, the isolation valves simply aren’t there.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING ISOLATION VALVES
ACES installed these isolation valves (with red tags) shown here on an American Autoclave oven.
We discovered that, although test connections and isolation valves are required in NFPA 86’s written standards, the valves are missing from the NFPA’s drawings. This leads to the need to retrofit equipment when safety checks are performed — or, more often, safety checks are not performed to standards, leaving the owner and operators vulnerable to bodily harm, liability and death.
ABOUT ACES
At ACES we have 125 years of combined experience troubleshooting, repairing, calibrating equipment and performing surveys for the heat treat, composite cure and powder coating industries. We work for the most respected names in the aerospace industry, such as Boeing, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft.
Performing safety checks and upgrading ovens and furnaces to be in compliance with the most recent standards requires specialized equipment, processes, documentation and personnel, all of which we have at ACES. Call us today at 316-776-7500 for a FREE consultation, or send us an email below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Industrial Heating Magazine
Environmental & Safety Issues: Is Your Furnace a Ticking Time Bomb?
Industrial Heating Magazine
Combustion Safety for Furnace Operation
National Fire Protection Association
NFPA 86: List of NFPA Codes & Standards
CONTACT US TODAY!
Fill out the form below, or call 316-776-7500 to make sure your ovens and furnaces are ready for the future.