Manual Valve Question

[templetonc]

I have a manual 6" butterfly valve (I think that is what it is called). Our guys on the floor are having a hard time telling if the valve is all the way open or closed as the valve is submerged under an opaque liquid and there is no way to visually tell if it is open or closed.

I am sure other places have had this problem. Is there a premanufactured item that I can attach to the valve stem so that the person who turns it can see if it is on or off?

 

[MintJulep]

I don'e recall ever seeing a butterfly valve that didn't have the handle in-line with the pipe when open.

 

[handleman]

As far as a pre-manufactured one, you would probably have to check the manufacturer, etc. However, if it really is a butterfly valve, it goes from fully open to fully closed in 1/4 turn of the handle. You should be able to figure out how to mark the handle or surroundings in some way with a sharpie in about 2 minutes to be able to tell the valve position.

 

[JStephen]

Larger valves usually have geared handwheels and in that case, you can't tell from the lever. And if the lever is submerged in this case, you'd not be able to tell.

I've heard of position indicators, but I don't know if they would tell you if it was ALL the way shut or ALL the way open- haven't used them. But check with the valve manufacturer for help.

This issue is more common with buried valves than with submerged valve.

 

[eromlignod]

The lever *stops* when you are all the way opened and when you are all the way closed.

Don
Kansas City

 

[TenPenny]

On butterfly valves, if it's a lever handle (probably 6" and under), the handle should be in line with the disc. Larger valves, with gears, usually have some sort of casting on the gearbox that indicates open/closed, but they are often hard to read.

There are indicators that are easy to attach; simplest is to contact the local vendor of whatever brand you have.

 

[bcd]

Another simple method is to turn the handle in the clockwise direction until it stops. 99.9% of all valves that operate by manually turning are closed by turning in the closkwise direction. There is the 0.1% exception, but a 6" butterfly valve is not one of them.

bcd

 

[zuccus]

If possible they make extensions for the gear operator on the valve that can raise it up 6' or so. Maybe this will help you get the handle and position indicator out of the fluid it is in. Making it easier to read if the valve is open or close.

Contact the valve manufacturer, they will be more than happy to sell you one and I believe they make them in just about any increment that you need.

Having a valve in a place where an operator can't see if it is open or close can't be a good thing.

Zuccus