Writing an RFQ for online valve maintenance

1. What the RFQ should contain

A strong RFQ gives every bidder the same facts, so replies can be compared fairly. Prepare one pack per site or campaign, and keep each valve on its own line. For a larger programme of valves, define the scope first, as our guide to defining scope for a multi-valve campaign explains.

1. Valve data: type, size, pressure class, and maker if known.
2. Service: the fluid, its normal pressure, and the temperature range.
3. Fittings: whether buttonhead injection fittings exist, and their condition.
4. Symptoms: hard to operate, passing, or leaking, and when it began.
5. Site facts: location, access limits, and permit rules.
6. Timing: when the work should happen, and any deadline.

If a fact is unknown, say so. A bidder can plan around a gap, but not around a guess.

2. Describing the fault with the right evidence

Describe what was observed, not a conclusion. A hiss, a rising downstream pressure, or bubbles at a drain suggests a passing valve. None of these signs proves a seat leak. Write down the observation, the date, and who saw it.

The confirming test for a passing valve is a seat-leak test under agreed conditions. That may be pressure decay across the closed valve, double block and bleed monitoring, or a witnessed leak test. Naming your intended test in the RFQ keeps every bidder planning the same work. Photographs of the valve and its nameplate help the bidder prepare correctly. For background, read how pipeline valves fail.

3. What to ask each bidder to state

Ask each bidder to explain their method before any award. The reply should show how cleaner, lubricant, or sealant will be chosen for your service. It should also show that amounts stay within equipment and fitting ratings, with stop-work conditions stated. Injection is controlled work, not open-ended pumping.

Ask for the gates they will check. The valve must have injection fittings in good condition. The design and the service must suit injection.

Site rules and the permit-to-work must allow the job. Where OEM documents exist, the bidder should consult them for limits and warranty terms. Valves built with injection points are designed to be maintained in service. Even so, treatment in service is not possible in every case.

Where injection cannot help, the honest answer is a proper assessment, or replacement. Our cleaning, lubricating and sealing service is scoped this way, with method and limits stated before work starts.

4. Setting acceptance criteria before award

Decide what success means before award, and write it into the RFQ. Vague wording, such as a satisfactory result, invites dispute later. For a passing valve, the confirming test is a seat-leak test under conditions your site agrees. Double block and bleed monitoring, or a witnessed leak test, are common choices.

Be careful with standards. API 598 and ISO 5208 are factory acceptance references for seat leakage. They are not field test results, and a bid that treats them as such has misread them. A useful reply states the test method, the instruments, and who witnesses the result.

5. How to weigh the replies

Compare replies on substance, not on promises. Our article on comparing service proposals sets out a fuller method. Weight the list before the replies arrive, so a polished document cannot sway you later.

1. Method: is the choice of cleaner, lubricant, or sealant reasoned, with controlled amounts and stop-work conditions?
2. Verification: is a named seat-leak test offered under stated conditions?
3. Safety: are method statements and risk assessments provided? See safety documentation to expect from a field team.
4. Honesty: are limits stated, and is assessment or replacement offered where injection cannot help?
5. Competence: what certifications, training, and experience are offered?

We hold ISO certification, and we expect to be judged against this same list.

6. Starting the RFQ with us

You can start with a short message, not a finished document. Send the valve details you have: type, size, service, fittings, and symptoms. An engineer replies within 24 hours, by WhatsApp or the contact form. We will say plainly what online treatment can and cannot do in your case.

If you want product details first, request the guide through an enquiry. An engineer will send it and answer questions on selection. To frame the wider decision, read our guide to choosing an online valve maintenance provider. For a first look at your whole valve population, a condition survey is a sound opening move.