If the valves in a reciprocating compressor fail, it can cause havoc with the operation of the refinery running smoothly. While you can diagnose the problem yourself, it is crucial that you only have a company experienced in rotating equipment repair come in to fix the issue. With that being said, here are some troubleshooting tips so that you can provide more information to the repair company.
Environmental
It is important that the compressor operates in an environment that is free from dust, mist, air-borne oil, and other air pollutants. These factors can easily damage the valves in the compressor and prevent it from functioning correctly. In addition to these factors, there are also environmental dangers such as inadequate lubrication, corrosive chemicals, and foreign substances that can harm the compressor valves.
Mechanical
Whereas environmental factors tend to happen externally, mechanical factors tend to happen internally. Many times a spring may suffer undue wear because of stress. This will virtually ensure that the compressor will stop functioning correctly. There is also the concern of fatigue caused by running at a high-cycle. This can also cause stress which negatively affects the function of the compressor. All of these are reasons to call in a company experienced in rotating equipment repair.
Not Following Directions
Believe it or not, not following the required operating procedures as laid out in the user’s manual is a common way of causing valve damage to the reciprocating compressor. It is crucial that all follow directions are explicitly followed.
