What is a Shut Off Valve?

What is a Shut Off Valve?

Shut off valves are designed to safely manage compressed air in pneumatic applications, and are used to block compressed air in an industrial automation process, and isolate sub-systems when not in use.

Also known as...

A shut off valve might also be referred to as a lock out valve, cut off valve, a shutdown valve, an emergency shutdown valve, a ball valve, or an exhausting ball valve.

How does a shut off valve work?

Most often used as a safety-related function, using a shut off valve as part of an air preparation unit can save time and money and is considered best practice. Shut off valves allow for easier servicing of equipment without affecting the rest of the system by quickly stopping air from reaching part of the application in use. Simple to operate, they can be used in the event of risk to safety, equipment failure or in order to carry out maintenance.

Some shut off valves can be lockable in the closed position and are tamper proof with the use of a padlock, while others in the Norgren range meet the lock out, tag out (LOTO) system requirements, where a machine cannot be restarted until repair work is carried out.

How do I select a shut off valve?

There are different types and sizes of shut off valves available depending on the operation or application they’re needed for. To select the right type of shut off valve you need to consider:

• Range
• Environment and temperature
• Port size, position and type
• Pressure
• Type of application e.g. LOTO requirement
• Size and weight

Types of shut off valves

Norgren has a series of shut off valves either as standalone products or as part of box sets. The series includes the Excelon Plus and Olympian Plus ranges, as well as ball valves and exhausting ball valves.

Typical applications of shut off valves

Shut off valves allow for the safe control of compressed air in pneumatic applications and are used in a range of industries. Shut off valves are also a useful accessory to stop the air supply in controlled conditions where a process must work correctly and safely.

An example of a shut off valve in use is as part of a ring main system. Positioned above a dead leg drain for example, a shut off valve allows for any water to drain out at that point so maintenance can be carried out.

Do I need anything else to make a shut off valve work?

There are a range of products and accessories available for use with shut off valves including filters, regulators, silencers, padlocks and mounting brackets.

Visit our Valves section to find out more.