The ships in the marine industry use valves for a number of reasons. The onboard systems require regulatory and other types of functions to be performed and marine valves allow operators to achieve them.

There are different types of marine valves in the market. Each one performs distinct operations and ensures the onboard systems are working as they should. But with so many varieties and types of marine valves available, it is overwhelming to find the most suitable ones.

Below we have listed a few key points to take into consideration for choosing the right marine valve. Keep reading till the end to find out.

Media Type

As aforementioned, marine valves similar to how most valves work are used for controlling certain gas or liquid in a system. The type of media that the valve has to control will help in determining the valve material that should be used.

For instance, if any harsh or corrosive media needs to be handled then valve materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxy alkanes (PFA) can be the ideal choices as they can effectively withstand such conditions.

When it comes to regulating or handling pressurized gasses then it is recommended to go with metallic valves to maintain a high level of safety.

Valve Function

Determining the functional requirement that the valve needs to fulfill will also help in narrowing down the options for choosing the right marine valve. For instance, in order to perform the function of relieving pressure from inside the pipes of the onboard systems, the use of Relief Valve is the suitable choice.

As the marine Relief Valves have a spring inside the valve that opens when the pressure within the system increases. The spring can also be adjusted to open slower or faster as required.

Therefore, keeping in mind the function valves need to perform, the ideal choice of marine valves can be made efficiently.

Application Conditions

The size of the valve even for marine valves matters a lot when it comes to choosing the right valve. An improperly sized valve has increased potential to cause operational issues within the issue or in the valve itself.

To find the right size for the marine valves make sure to consider the application conditions. In which part of the ship application the valve would be used. Determine the flow rate, temperature, pressure, etc. that your valve shall be functioning under.

This will give you an idea which choice of valve would be right.

Actuation Method

How the valve is to be operated should also be taken into consideration for choosing the right marine valve. Identify whether the valve needs to be operated manually or requires to be actuated to turn on and off automatically.

Some of the onboard systems in ships require manual operations and for that you can choose the suitable actuation method valves. In case, where there is need for automatic operations, you have to decide whether the unit is going to be utilized with a pneumatic, electric or hydraulic actuator.

These are some of the essential points that you need to remember and go through when choosing the most suitable marine valves.