A trial scope template for online valve maintenance

1. What the trial scope must state

A trial scope is written before anyone connects a gun to a fitting. It keeps the first job small, comparable and honest. One or two pages are enough, and a vendor who resists writing it down is telling you something.

1. The valve list: tag numbers, size, pressure class, service and present symptoms.
2. The baseline: how each valve behaves today, recorded before any treatment.
3. The treatment plan: cleaner, lubricant or sealant, and the method for each valve.
4. The roles: who injects, who witnesses and who keeps the record.
5. The window: dates and the operating limits agreed with the plant team.

Add a stop-work line: an unexpected pressure response, or a leak at a fitting, ends work at that valve. Choose a small mix of valves, mostly passing or stiff ones, because these are the usual complaints. A written scope also lets you judge vendors on equal terms, which is half of choosing an online valve maintenance provider.

2. Gates to clear before any injection

Injection is a maintenance method, not a cure for every valve. The scope should name the gates that must pass before any compound goes in. These checks are quick, and they prevent wasted work on unsuitable valves.

1. The valve has buttonhead injection fittings, and they are in good condition.
2. The valve design and the service suit injection of a cleaner, lubricant or sealant.
3. Site rules and the permit to work allow the job on a live, pressurised line.
4. Where the OEM manual exists, it has been read for limits and warranty terms.

Valves built with injection points are designed to be maintained in service. Valves without them, or with damaged fittings, need another route. Timing matters too, so place the work inside an agreed window, as covered in planning live valve maintenance.

3. Evidence to record during the trial

Evidence is decided before the trial starts, not chosen afterwards. The scope should name one confirming test per valve, plus the records kept along the way.

1. The baseline: how the valve behaves before treatment, with dates and conditions.
2. The treatment record: what was injected, the pressure response and where work stopped.
3. The result: the same observations repeated after treatment, under the same conditions.

A valve that turns freely again, or stops passing on a bubble line, suggests improvement. It does not prove recovery. The confirming test for a passing valve is a seat-leak test under agreed conditions, such as pressure decay across the closed valve, double block and bleed monitoring, or a witnessed leak test.

Agree the conditions in the scope: line pressure, test duration and who witnesses. Records kept this way also stand up later, which is the point of audit-ready maintenance evidence.

4. Write the decision rule in advance

A trial ends in a decision, so write the rule before the first injection. Name each possible exit in advance, before anyone sees the results.

1. Extend: the valves improved on the confirming test, so plan the next batch or a maintenance contract.
2. Adjust: results were partial, so review the compound, the dwell time or the method, and retry.
3. Stop: a valve did not recover, so it moves to assessment, repair or replacement instead.

Online treatment is the least intrusive option in suitable cases, not a promise for every valve. A seized valve with damaged internals may need workshop attention. If you plan to cost the trial, record what was avoided honestly, as described in recording cost avoidance from online maintenance.

5. Starting a small trial with us

We run trials this way, because a small honest trial protects both sides. We make the cleaners, lubricants and sealants in-house, so the compound can be matched to the service.

1. Send the valve list and symptoms by WhatsApp or the contact form.
2. An engineer replies within 24 hours, usually with questions before any price.
3. We agree the gates, the evidence and the decision rule in writing.
4. You can also request the product guide through an enquiry.

If the baseline is unclear, a condition survey of your valves can set it before the trial. You may prefer compounds checked first, as covered in bench and sample testing before you buy. Neither step is essential; a clear valve list is enough to begin.