ASCO Low Temperature Valves
Winter is Coming – Can Your Valves Withstand Low Ambient Temperatures?
Living in the Midwest, it’s vital to prepare your equipment and operations for the inevitable cold weather that occurs. Part of these preparation include the valves used to control the flow of materials. Many of the standard valves on the market are only rated to 32° F – unfortunately for the Midwest that’s a beautiful winter day and may pose some performance issues for valves without the proper ratings.
Cold weather temperatures can cause performance issues including compromising the integrity of seals, slowed response or dormancy, flexibility of material and more. To ensure your operation is running at optimal efficiency in these low ambient temperatures, ASCO manufactures fluid automation products including valves and cylinders to withstand temperatures down to -40° F.
Why Low Ambient Ratings are Vital to Ensure Reliable Valve Performance
Resiliency and flexibility often deteriorate with low temperatures. When temperatures drop, the elastomers in a valve disc or diaphragm shrink and undergo glass transition which cause a hard, brittleness. These conditions result in seal leakage.
Dormancy can also occur when valves are operated at infrequent intervals. When a valve’s O-ring seals stay in uninterrupted contact for days or months, the seal can adhere against the metal surface of its mating components. When this occurs the valve either does not operate or operates much slower.
ASCO Provides the Largest Selection of Low Temperature Rated Valves
That’s where ASCO comes in. ASCO has the largest selection of cold weather fluid control and power offerings, including:
- Two-way solenoid valves
- Three-way solenoid valves
- Four-way solenoid valves
- Gas safety shutoff valves
- Manual reset valves
- Low-power valves
- Redundant control pilot valve systems
- And more
All of these fluid control and power control selections are rated, tested and approved for reliable operation from 170° F (76° C) down to -40° F (-40° C). ASCO tests to UL specifications in their UL certified lab. They offer the most widely tested and certified offerings for low ambient temperatures and comply with general purpose, safety shutoff and hazardous applications requirements.
The Midwest’s Leading ASCO Distributor
ASCO and Lakeland have been partnering since 1952 to deliver expert support with many of the Lakeland team members having 30-year trajectories in the industry. Lakeland is a stocking distributor of ASCO with access to 2,000 ASCO SameDay products and 50,000 ASCO 5Day products including solenoid valves, pneumatic valves, re-build kits and more. Lakeland works directly with the customer to find the right solution for the application and their needs. Download the PDF from ASCO to learn more about selecting low ambient valves or contact us today to get in touch with your local rep.