Debris Caps: Protecting Your Pipes' Futures
Installing a debris cap on all gas and water valves may be one of the smartest decisions a utility company can make. Few low-cost purchases can save the amount of time and money that these small caps can. In the current economy, characterized by rising costs coupled with heavy competition, the businesses that take advantage of money-saving investments may be the ones that succeed. Caps are a good way to protect valves, reduce maintenance, save time in shutoffs, manage usage, and code pipes. With all these benefits, the insignificant price of the caps can be startling.
Without a debris cap, dirt, rocks, and other waste falls into valves. This garbage has a tendency to coat the pipes and valves. Once buildup starts, it will likely progress to lower output efficiency. Eventually the valve may become completely closed off or permanently damaged. Maintenance crews then must service the valves by cleaning or replacing them. A simple cap can slow this process significantly by blocking the debris that would otherwise fall into the pipes and valves. After installing caps on existing gas and water valves, a company can feel confident that maintenance should be visibly reduced.
Emergent situations arise for utility companies, such as gas leaks and waterline breaks. In these times, every minute is important in resolving the problem. A debris cap has the capacity to quickly lock against a gas or water flow. Because of this exciting feature, workers can turn off the broken or leaking line at the source of the problem before the mainline shutoff valves are accessed. Containing gas more quickly has the potential to save lives, and stopping water flows can reduce damage to property. Hopefully this aspect of caps will not be needed many times over a company's life, but a single incident can make this precautionary measure meaningful.
Unauthorized usage of company lines costs money. People who have learned how to perform unapproved hookups would probably purchase the same amount that they currently steal, if the theft were made impossible. The same locks that allow for emergent shut down can be put in place to effectively turn off a utility for any reason. Only a specialized key can open a locked debris cap, which will likely force people committing utility theft into purchasing what they need.
A color-coded system may benefit utility companies with multiple lines in a small space. Caps come in several colors, and they can be used to mark utility lines by type and according to any other system chosen by management. While colored caps would probably not be the only means of recording line placement, it is a simple way to increase reliability. For example, a worker who must terminate a utility for one specific apartment in a building could have color verification that he or she shut off the correct valve.
Debris caps are inexpensive and take only a short time to install. New projects can benefit from using protective caps at the time the valves are installed. For existing lines, it will likely take a planned effort to put the needed caps in place; but this effort can be worth it. Profits may increase as the newly-installed caps reduce costs and increase revenue.