Warranty-period valve care: follow OEM instructions and preserve claim evidence

Start with the warranty boundary

A warranty does not remove the operator's duty to inspect an installed valve. It changes how decisions, materials and records should be controlled.

First identify the covered valve, warranty dates, approved service conditions and named maintenance instructions. Keep the purchase record, valve identity and supplied documents together. Our valve integrity management guide explains why each asset needs its own history.

Do not infer permission from a general product statement. Written OEM instructions for the specific valve and service should govern the work.

Separate observation, diagnosis and action

An operator may notice hard travel, pressure movement or noise near a closed valve. These observations are screening evidence, not proof of a failed seat or internal part.

Record what was seen, the operating state and instrument used. Then apply an approved confirming test before naming the fault. API 598 describes acceptance testing and leakage criteria, but it does not replace field diagnosis for an installed valve.

1. Observation: note position, pressure, flow indication, noise and external condition.
2. Confirmation: use the approved seat, travel or leakage test for that valve.
3. Decision: obtain the required authority before maintenance changes the evidence.

Follow approved care, not a universal calendar

Inspection, exercising, lubrication and top-up intervals vary by valve, fitting, service and site. Applicable rules and the OEM maintenance instructions come first.

Some operators report quarterly sealant top-ups during warranty periods. That is reported practice, not a universal rule. It should never override the OEM interval, supplied capacity data or operating restrictions.

ASME B31.8 requires operating and maintenance procedures but gives no universal exercise interval for every installed valve. Read the ASME B31.8 maintenance overview before setting a local programme.

Control any injection work

Injection is not suitable for every installed valve. Before recommending cleaner, lubricant or sealant, confirm four gates.

1. The injection fittings are present, identified and in good condition.
2. The valve design and process service suit the proposed material.
3. The OEM guidance permits the work and selected material.
4. Operations permit the work under the site's approved controls.

Use controlled amounts within equipment and fitting ratings while watching pressure response. Stop when pressure behaves unexpectedly, uptake stops or the approved limit approaches. Our valve service products still require valve-specific approval.

Build a claim-ready evidence pack

A good file shows the valve's condition before intervention and the result afterwards. It also shows that authorised people followed the required process.

1. Record the tag, serial details, location, service and operating state.
2. Keep dated photographs of the valve, actuator, fittings and visible defects.
3. Record test method, instruments, readings and the person performing the test.
4. Keep OEM advice, approvals, work permits and material identification.
5. Record amounts used, pressure response, stop conditions and final test results.

Do not dismantle, alter stops or inject an unapproved material merely to obtain a result. Preserve the condition, make the area safe and seek a proper assessment. The isolation-readiness guide shows how closure evidence should be separated from seat evidence.