Why Corrosion On Water Valves: What Are The Signs Of It? The gray or blue-green deposit typically visible at discharge points from leaking valves is the result of moisture contacting with both the valve material and corrosive byproducts resulting in different forms of corrosion.
Reasons For Corrosion
Chemical Composition of Water: some chemicals including dissolved gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide can cause corrosion to proceed rapidly.corrosion (ad) Reacting with water, this gas forms acidic compounds and increasing the corrosive power of fluid12.
Microbial Activity Microbially induced corrosion (MIC) is another significant factor, especially environments rich in sulfate-reducing bacteria. For example, these bacteria may be capable of producing sulfide ions which can react with metal surfaces to cause localized corrosion and ultimately structural failure24.
Environmental Factors: While environmental conditions, such as changes in temperatures, humidity levels and the presence of salty or contaminated water can have an adverse affect on corrosion rates. An example of a process which is particularly prone to failure are valves used in marine environments, saltwater being highly conductive and therefore promoting electrochemical reactions23.
Material compatibility — Choice of materials used in terms to construct the valves is one such thing which poses a major factor for corrosion. Two dissimilar metals in close proximity form galvanic cells that invariably cause corrosion to be accelerated at the junctions35.
Mechanical Stress: When corrosion arises with tensile stress, cracks can develop that are difficult to detect until they expand (stress-corrosion cracking 7c). They are further aggravated by the high-pressure conditions that generally pertain to valve operations12.
Preventive Measures
Water Valves are subject to the risk of corrosion, for which following measures have been taken care so that such hazard can be minimized:
Selection of Material: Select materials that are resistant to corrosion or put on coatings.
Preventive Maintenance: Early detection is key to prevent corrosion failures through routine inspections and maintenance.
Environmental control: By keeping the environment around your valves in top condition — limiting exposure to toxic chemicals and controlling humidity levels, for instance — you can extend their life.
Please remember that when you can recognize the various causes behind why corrosion happens in water valves, you are subsequently able to have better ways of both prevention and maintenance on how it will go about so long as making sure each valve work properly with lesser risk for leaks or failures.