Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Everything related to Machine problems, Balancing issues, Vibration / Thrust diagnostics & analysis, etc.
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ww2i
Posts: 55
Joined: 20 Nov 2025, 21:06
Area of interest: Petroleum Engineering

Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Post by ww2i »

Is it difficult to maintain pilot operated PSVs when compared to conventional ones?
mechcolor
Posts: 293
Joined: 17 May 2010, 18:05
Area of interest: Manufacturing Engineering

Re: Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Post by mechcolor »

ww2i,
This is not that pilot operated PSVs are difficult to maintain however saying it is differently maintain would be right to say.
Functionality of the piece itself is different when compared to conventional one.
Parts which are involved are more than conventional, and if maintenance is done through right manufacturer's recommended practices, there is nothing which is complex to maintain POP PSVs.
Would request you to share your exact concern please.
arcpro
Posts: 387
Joined: 16 Apr 2010, 18:46
Area of interest: Manufacturing Engineering

Re: Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Post by arcpro »

I would say yes, when considering that they have to handle any kind of dirt, foreign material, it is a clear No. They fail.
And if you still need to operate, and maintain the same, the maintenance is difficult.
Pilot PSVs require:
Dry
Clean
Non-fouling
Non-condensing

And if the process has:
Rust
Lube oil
Glycol
Amine
Coke dust
Condensate
You are gonna come back here and say the same thing, pilot PSV got failed.
ww2i wrote: 08 Jan 2026, 12:55 Is it difficult to maintain pilot operated PSVs when compared to conventional ones?
ww2i
Posts: 55
Joined: 20 Nov 2025, 21:06
Area of interest: Petroleum Engineering

Re: Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Post by ww2i »

A question, do you recommend that we must review the performance of our existing POP valves, and look for indicators indicating that POP valve may not be a suitable safety valve type?
arcpro wrote: 12 Jan 2026, 13:47 I would say yes, when considering that they have to handle any kind of dirt, foreign material, it is a clear No. They fail.
And if you still need to operate, and maintain the same, the maintenance is difficult.
Pilot PSVs require:
Dry
Clean
Non-fouling
Non-condensing

And if the process has:
Rust
Lube oil
Glycol
Amine
Coke dust
Condensate
You are gonna come back here and say the same thing, pilot PSV got failed.
ww2i wrote: 08 Jan 2026, 12:55 Is it difficult to maintain pilot operated PSVs when compared to conventional ones?
arcpro
Posts: 387
Joined: 16 Apr 2010, 18:46
Area of interest: Manufacturing Engineering

Re: Maintenance of pilot operated PSVs

Post by arcpro »

See the thing is that it all depends on the actual data.
You need to pull that out, inspection history, findings when tested, when in operations, and yes why not you can actually question the type of relief system (PSV only, which type,, installation of rupture disk upstream etc.).
Over the years, there could have been changes in the process itself, foreign particles coming in.
Check to start with if the service is all clean, or there is something mentioned in Inspection reports indicating the installed relief system may not be appropriate.
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