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What
Gas Shut-Off Valves Do
The
basic purpose of a gas shut off valve is to cut the
flow of gas to your house in the event of an earthquake
(or, depending on the type of valve, a potentially
dangerous leak due to other causes.) Each device
has a simple mechanism inside which activates and
blocks the flow of gas. Different manufacturer's
have their own unique methods of restricting gas
flow but they all operate in essentially the same
way.
Seismic
Valves vs. Excess Flow Valves:
What's the Difference?
Seismic
valves are triggered by the ground shaking caused
by earthquakes. When shaking reaches the level of
the valve's designated shut-off point (generally
around 5.2-5.4 on the Richter Scale), the valve will
automatically stop the flow of gas into your house.
Once you have determined that there is no potential
danger from fire or explosion, you must reset the
valve manually to restart the flow of gas.
Excess Flow valves are designed to cut off the flow of gas when they detect a
higher flow rating than the allotted maximum flow of the home. If you have a
line break, the escaping gas will cause excess flow detectable by the valve,
which
then immediately shuts off the flow of gas into your house. Since they operate
on a different principle, excess flow valves will not shut off the gas to your
house simply because of an earthquake.
Both types of valves offer effective protection from the threat of fire or explosion
from natural gas. Simply choose the right valve for your particular application.
What
Kind of Service is Involved?
Because
earthquake valves have virtually no moving parts, there are
no service requirements. Please refer to the enclosed instructional
pamphlet that comes with each valve to learn how easy it is
to reset your valve. |
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