D. Kim Sorensen, P.E.

OUT OF SITE OUT OF MINDWho says air valves don’t need maintenance

Agenda

• Types of Air Valves

• Traditional Wastewater Valves

• Air Valve maintenance

• ARI Wastewater Air Valves

• Questions and Comments

Three Types of Traditional Air Valves

Three Types of Traditional Air Valves

The Traditional Wastewater Air Valve

Traditional Wastewater Valve

Traditional Wastewater Valve

Primary Causes of Fouling/Leaking

• Grease– # 1 Problem

– System Dependent

– Location Dependent

– Grease Build-up Restricts Float Movement

– Prevents Sealing/Valve Leaks

• Debris– WW Pumps Handle Large Solids

– Debris Gets Stuck/Restricts Float Movement

– Prevents Sealing/Valve Leaks

– Fouled Seal Causes More Leaks

• Low Pressure– All Valves Have Minimum Sealing Pressures

Grease

Location #1

Location #2 50 ft from #1

Debris

Debris

Debris

Low Pressure

Two static head zones

AWWA requires sealing at 20 psig at the

orifice seal

Off – the – shelf A.R.I. air valves seal at

pressure as low as 3 psig at the orifice seal.

A.R.I. has air valves that seal at pressure as

low as 1.5 psig and even 0.75 psig at the

orifice seal.

MINIMUM SEALING PRESSURE

Maintenance Frequency/Reliability

• All Air Valves Require Maintenance– System Dependent

• ARI Recommendations New Installations– Inspect After 1 Month of Operation

– Adjust Inspection/Maintenance Frequency

– Establish Maintenance Schedule after 6-12 months

– Evaluate Impact of System Changes

• Existing Installations– Inspect/Clean all Valves

– Inspect After 1 Month

– Adjust Inspection Frequency

– Establish Maintenance Schedule Depending on Findings

– Evaluate Impact of System Changes

Mistrust of Wastewater Air Valves

WASTEWATER AIR VALVES

Thank You

Applications Engineer

Tel. 801-254-2226

Cell 801-875-9155

kim@ariusa.com

www.ariusa.com

D. Kim Sorensen, P.E.