REAL LIFE SINGER SOLUTIONS

HOW SINGER ANTI-CAV TRIM MINIMIZES DAMAGE

Their Challenge

Pumping water at 5,310 g/m (335 l/s) with pressure beginning at 60 psi (4.1 bar) and dropping to atmosphere, it’s no wonder the City of Airdrie’s reservoir fill valve had to be replaced regularly due to serious cavitation.

“We inspected the reservoir fill valve every year for damage due to cavitation,” says Kelly McKague, City of Airdrie’s facility operator. “The valve was completely eaten away so we had to replace it every 18 months.”

Our Solution 

McKague decided to purchase a 12” (300 mm) Singer 2SC-PCO fitted with Singer’s Anti-Cavitation Trim. Singer Valve customized the cavitation cages to suit Airdrie’s application. Curious about its performance, McKague inspected the valve six months later. “We could have boxed the valve and resold it,” says McKague. “There was absolutely no sign of cavitation, not even on the coating. We couldn’t believe it.”

The Result 

One year after installation, McKague inspected the valve again and saw no signs of damage whatsoever. Another benefit of the Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim is the noise reduction. Because cavitation is noisy—like gravel going through the valve—with the Anti-Cavitation Trim, the valve is amazingly quiet.

“THE SINGER 2SC-PCO WITH SINGER’S ANTI-CAVITATION TRIM IS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT VALVE FOR THE JOB.”

- Kelly McKague, Facility Operator, City of Airdrie

PATENTED SINGER VALVE REDUCES WATER PRESSURE

Their Challenge

“We had problems regulating pressure,” says Ron Lauw, a mechanical maintenance supervisor with East Bay MUD who is now retired. “And we had valves that wouldn’t close when they were supposed to so that caused a lot of problems.” When Kari Oksanen, Singer’s general manager, visited East Bay MUD’s office in Oakland, they found Lauw and his team at the drawing board, trying to create a new valve with standard components.

Our Solution 

Oksanen decided to build a valve, too. “We left it up to them to decide which valve—theirs or ours—worked better for that application,” he says. Oksanen adapted a standard pressure-reducing valve to include an integrated backup system with a second diaphragm and a secondary pilot system that did not require electricity. Several months later, he returned with a prototype of the first-ever Pressure Reducing Valve with Integral Back-up (PR-SM) valve. The four-inch valve was installed with excellent results. 

The Result 

East Bay MUD chose Oksanen’s valve and as a result, they have 100 per cent surge protection and huge cost savings due to no emergency repairs. Singer’s PR-SM valves, which are now patented, have been installed in water districts around the world.

“THE PR-SM WORKS WELL FOR US. THAT’S WHY WE KEEP BUYING IT."

- Ron Lauw, Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor

LA COUNTY TRUSTS SINGER’S ANTI-CAV TRIM

Their Challenge

At Pepperdine University, even the horses kicked up a fuss about how noisy a nearby valve was when it opened and closed. The horse stable stood next to a reservoir tank in the pressure zone at an elevation of 545 feet. The valve, which was at the tank’s inlet, was serviced by a high pressure line from 812 feet elevation. “The valve vibrated so much it scared us—and the horses,” says Rick LaSance, L.A. County’s electromechanic working supervisor in charge of water distribution. “We were afraid it was out of control.” When the valve needed to be replaced, LaSance knew that specifying the same valve would neither eliminate the noise nor stop cavitation.

Our Solution

When LaSance learned that Singer Valve makes an anti-cavitation product, they decided to try Singer’s Altitude Valve with the Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim at the Pepperdine University tank. “The valve was so quiet we couldn’t believe it,” says LaSance. “There is no more vibration and the horses calmed down.”

The Result 

Four years after L.A. County installed the Singer Altitude Valve and Anti-Cavitation Trim, LaSance pulled it apart for inspection. “Everything was running perfectly,” he says. Since then, LaSance often specifies Singer valves. “Any time we have noise in a valve or are working with higher pressure, we go strictly with Singer’s Anti-Cavitation Trim. They solve all of our noise and vibration problems.”

“THE SINGER ANTI-CAVITATION TRIM WAS AN EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE SOLUTION FOR PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY. IT’S A UNIQUE VALVE NO ONE ELSE OFFERS.”

- Kari Oksanen, General Manager, Singer Valve Inc.