kunkle pressure safety valve factory

Kunkle delivers quality products from cryogenic to high temperature and vacuum to high pressure Steam, Air, Gas, and Liquid applications. Kunkle Valve provides code certifications that meet various global standards such as ASME, PED, CRN, TU and Chinese as well as non-code requirements.

Kunkle Relief Valve OverviewWhen it comes to industrial and commercial safety and relief valve products, Kunkle’s valve’s catalog is second to none in steam, air, gas, and liquid applications.

Kunkle relief valves range in size from ¼” NPT to 6” flange and are suitable in cryogenic and high temperatures up to 800°F environments at vacuum to 7,500 psig pressure. Kunkle Valve’s code certifications meet several global and national board standards, including ASME Section I, Section IV, and Section VIII, PED, CRN, TU and Chinese, as well as non-code requirements.

Relief Valves for Steam ServiceSteam supplies heat for industrial and chemical processes and also is used to heat buildings, supply mechanical energy, and drive mechanical equipment. Steam moves from the boiler to the end point, then heats by direct heating or indirect heating through a heat exchanger. Kunkle steam relief valves are critical to protecting equipment such as boilers, steam lines, and pressure valves, from being over-pressurized.

Relief Valves for Air ServiceKunkle designs valves for air service, for example for air compressors in mechanical shops and small factories where either low-pressure or high-pressure air is required. NASVI stocks Kunkle relief valves for air service in iron, steel and bronze for a variety of uses.

Relief Valves for Liquid ServiceKunkle also makes valves for liquid service, which provide bypass relief in a variety of applications and liquid types.

More About KunkleKunkle Valve is a renowned pressure relief valve manufacturer. Erastus B. Kunkle invented the safety valve to prevent overpressure in locomotive engines. Kunkle patented it in 1875. Since that time, Kunkle has earned its reputation for high-quality valves, and other equipment manufacturers ship their products with Kunkle’s valves pre-installed.

NASVI has stocked Kunkle safety relief valves since we opened in 1975, so we are confident when we call ourselves Kunkle safety valve experts. Every day we fulfill orders for our customers looking for Kunkle relief valves for steam, air, gas, and liquid applications.

Kunkle relief valves are available for ASME Section I, Section IV and Section VIII services with relief capacities certified by the National Board. In addition, Kunkle offers a range of non-code products and each valve, both code and non-code is set, tested, and retested to the customer’s specifications and then sealed at the factory to prevent tampering. Flotech is a Kunkle valve distributor.

Kunkle safety and relief valve products range in size from 1/4-inch NPT through 6-inch flange and are suitable for services ranging from cryogenic to 850°F at set pressures ranging from vacuum to 6,500 psig. They are available in a wide range of materials including Brass, Bronze, Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, and Aluminum.

Ask anyone in the industry what brands are synonymous with high-quality safety and relief valves and you are sure to hear the name Kunkle. Kunkle Valve has long been a top manufacturer of safety and relief valves and valve products for a wide variety of commercial and industrial applications, and it all began with the building of the railroad.

Kunkle Valve’s history dates back to about 150 years ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was there that machinist and inventor Erastus B. Kunkle invented the first lock-up pop safety valve. He was working on locomotives for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and at that time, overpressure in the engines could cause serious problems. Kunkle’s invention of the safety valve to release engine pressure revolutionized the industry. In 1875, Kunkle patented the invention, and the following year he and his brother-in-law entered the valve manufacturing business.

The Fort Wayne Safety Valve Works operated as such until four years after Kunkle’s death. In 1917, local Fort Wayne businessman Oscar A. Fox purchased the firm and renamed it Kunkle Valve Company.

In the decades following World War II, Kunkle Valve made an even bigger name for itself providing relief valves for navy ships, nuclear submarines, and other large nautical vessels. In 1991, Kunkle Valve became a part of Anderson, Greenwood & Company, which was later acquired by Tyco Flow Control. In 2012, Tyco Flow Control merged with Pentair Inc. to form Pentair Ltd., which today provides industrial valves, pumps, and other water and fluid solutions on a global scale.

Kunkle Valve continues to be a leading brand in the manufacture of safety and relief valves and valve products. Kunkle products are available for ASME Sections I, IV, and VIII services, and most Kunkle valves have their relief capacity certified by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. Kunkle safety and pressure relief valves are set and tested in accordance with the API 527 standard for seat tightness of pressure relief valves as well as Kunkle Factory seat tightness standards for air/gas, steam, and liquid service. The company also offers non-code products, which are set and tested to the customer’s specifications. Refer to the Kunkle Safety and Relief Products Technical Reference for more information.

Kunkle safety and relief valve products come in a range of sizes and materials, suitable for use in a variety of services. Explore Allied’s full line of Kunkle Valve products.

We’re proud to be a factory-authorized loose assembler of ASME-certified and non-code Kunkle safety and relief valves. Kunkle valves are engineered for today’s most extreme industrial environments. You can count on Dante Valve for custom Kunkle valve configurations to help you hit specific safety and performance targets – along with superior service to keep you on schedule.

Kunkle Valves is a leading manufacturer of quality safety and relief valve products in all types of materials and connections for commercial and industrial applications, including liquid, air, steam and non-hazardous gases. The Kunkle Safety Valves are manufactured of materials including bronze, steel, brass and stainless steel and adheres to the ASME Sections I and VIII, Steam V and UV, and ASME Section VIII, Air/Gas, UV with relief capacities certified by the National Board. Kunkle Relief Valves are also manufactured at facilities that meet the requirements of the ASME pressure vessel code.

Kunkle 6252 Seriesis constructed of heavy duty cast iron with stainless steel semi-nozzle trim and disc. Bolted bonnet design insures easy maintenance. Pressure Limit - 250 psig - 406°F. Available in various inlet sizes - 1-1/2" to 6".

Kunkle series of ASME pressure relief valves are suitable for use on small to medium size multi-stage air compressors, intercoolers, aftercoolers, instrument/control air lines; and systems for air tanks/receivers and pressurized equipment. Available pressure ratings (psi): 350, 1000, 1500, and 2000.

Safety-relief valves were first developed during the Industrial Revolution for use on steam boilers. Early boilers were operated without them and were prone to explosions. An example is a pressure relief valve, which automatically releases steam from a boiler when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits.

Wherever you have an air, water or steam tank, a compressor, or something that is running or making power, it must have a safety valve on it to act as a fail-safe.

Dante Valve is proud to be a factory-authorized loose assembler of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)-certified and non-code Kunkle safety and relief valves. We offer a vast in-stock portfolio of the entire Kunkle product line for field-proven results. Kunkle has been building safety relief valves for decades, and they make the most reliable and longest-lasting valves worldwide for pressure relief applications. Quite simply, customers ask for Kunkle before any other brand of valve.

The most popular Kunkle pressure relief valve models are those in the 6000 series. The 6000 series models are the ‘go-to’ valves for air, gas and steam applications. The valve housing is made with a heavy-duty bronze or stainless-steel casting. They are primarily installed on any type of a vessel with a pressure limitation, in which a relief valve is mandatory. The primary media that these valves are called to work on are steam or boiler and air tanks.

They are commonly used on steam boilers, steam generators, air compressors, gas compressors – both reciprocating and rotary – intercoolers and aftercoolers, pressurized steam autoclaves, pressurized steam sterilizers and pressure reducing stations.

Kunkle valves are typical right angle type valves designed to work with a spring-loaded force above a disc, and then a spring on top. The force builds up from underneath the disc as the pressure starts to rise. The spring is what puts force on top of the disc and the seating surface to keep the valve closed.

Once the pressure reaches the valve’s set point, the spring gives, and the valve begins rising, releasing pressure as it does so. Once enough pressure is released at a certain point, the spring will completely collapse, and the disc will be fully open. Once the set point of the valve begins to be relieved as air, steam or water recedes, the spring will start to expand, and the valve will return to a fully closed position.

Kunkle valves are supplied in large numbers to industrial buildings such as hotels and hospitals to protect their systems, boilers, air and water tanks. The boilers used to heat large buildings like hotels and hospitals will almost always rely on a Kunkle pressure relief valve for protection. Medical and dental offices, too, will rely on Kunkle valves to protect the air compressors used for patient treatment and critical care systems.

There are a huge variety of commercial applications for Kunkle valves. We frequently get called in to replace valves in hospitals. The boiler fails or a valve leaks on a boiler. We move as quickly as possible to get the valve done. And we’ll get it done, because when a hospital boiler fails or a valve leaks on a boiler, hospitals can’t just stop what they are doing to wait for the valve to arrive. They use these boilers to heat the emergency wards, patient beds and operating rooms. There are lives at stake.

On the other hand, theme parks like Disneyland will call us for Kunkle relief valves frequently as well. For example, a valve could fail that goes on one of the rides, like on the train that goes around the world’s most famous theme park. There could be fifty thousand park visitors on any one day, so if a valve on a ride or a boiler fails, they need it replaced fast.

Dante Valve is fully licensed and authorized by the ASME. Our relief valves and assemblers are periodically inspected and tested by ASME representatives to maintain those high standards and accreditations. According to Jesse Williams, Product Specialist at Dante Valve, “Customers who require ASME-certified Kunkle valves come to Dante Valve, as we have been certified to assemble ASME-certified valves since 1998. Our company is audited and recertified every six years by ASME to maintain the strict quality compliance standards required.”

“We are proud of our legacy in maintaining our ASME certifications. It takes years to learn how to assemble valves according to ASME standards and protocols. And then we also pass this knowledge on to our newer technicians to keep them certifiable. All of this takes investment in training and years of hard work.”

“The high-quality of our products are renowned and that makes us very proud,” said Jesse Williams.  “We still have valves operating in systems from the year I started working here, in 1985. Our product quality is superior, and that is a big support to the success of Dante Valve.”

Dante Valve is a family-owned business, which marked its 60th anniversary in 2020, and is an international manufacturer and distributor of pressure-relief valves and related products — primarily for submarines, aircraft carriers and other naval vessels.

Dante Valve assembles custom Kunkle valve configurations to help our customers conform to specific safety and performance targets provided by the ASME. In addition, our impeccable service, delivery, reliability and respectful treatment of our customers are without a question the keys to our long success. At Dante Valve, we always strive to do the best we can. We have always been there for our customers and always will be. Contact us to get started on a quote today.

Installing your new Kunkle valve is a straightforward process, and it’s important to install it correctly perASMEBoiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements to ensure proper operation. In this quick guide, we’ve outlined the basic steps for valve installation, plus a couple of tips for success. If you have any questions about installing your valve, give us a call at (314) 665-1741.

Before installing your Kunkle valve, double-check that the model number matches your order and that the valve’s set pressure, service media, and temperature limits are correct for your application. And remember to handle your new valve with care — some parts are fragile.

Try to use the shortest inlet piping possible with no elbows and a diameter equal to or greater than the valve inlet connection. Doing so will help make sure that the inlet pressure drop is < 3% when the valve relieves pressure.

Prevent damage to your valve when putting it into position by making sure your lifting straps don’t accidentally wrap around or otherwise interfere with the lift lever.

If you have a steam service,use a drip pan elbow or flexible connection between the valve and pipe. This helps to minimize stress from thermal expansion on the valve body.

Apply a sealing compound to the outside threads, taking care to avoid applying it to the first thread. Never apply sealing compound to internal threads. Otherwise, you risk damaging the inside of your valve and causing seat leakage. Then, tighten the valve to the connecting pipe enough to create a pressure-tight seal. Use only a wrench flat — do not apply pressure to the bonnet or valve body during tightening, and be careful not to over-tighten the valve.

Attach the valve to the connecting pipe using new gaskets — using new gaskets is always recommended for the best results. Tighten the mounting studs in an even fashion, using a star pattern, just like you would when installing the wheels on a car.

Kunkle Valves is a leading manufacturer of quality safety and relief valve products for industrial and commercial applications, including steam, air, liquid (including cryogenics) and non-hazardous gases.

Kunkle products are available for ASME Section I, Section IV and Section VIII services with relief capacities certified by the National Board. In addition, we offer a range of non-code products and each valve, both code and non-code are set, tested and retested to the customer"s specifications and then sealed at the factory to prevent tampering.

Kunkle safety and relief valve products range in size from 1/4-inch NPT through 6-inch flange and are suitable for services ranging from -320°F Cryogenic to High Temp 850°F. With set pressures ranging from vacuum to 6,500 PSIG. They are available in a wide range of materials including Brass, Bronze, Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, and Aluminum.