Remeber when Frick made valves?

Ok, I am still pretty young and early/mid carreer experiance in Industrial Refrigeration. I recently moved to a plant that was built in 1979. When I came on the plant still had the same valves they did when it was built. All the globe valves, angle valves are Frick 2 and 4 bolt flange valves ranging between 1" and 4". I cannot seem to find these valves anywhere so i can replace them. 90% of the Frick hand valves do not hold. We had an evap blow a hole in a coil and we tried to isolate it, and of course we couldent so long story short and a whole system pump down we changed out the valve station on that unit and hung a new evap plus changed out a couple other valve stations. When I inspected the cut out out valve stations I found whole buttons in strainers, the mesh of the strainers completly gone, the teflon seats inside strainers so you would think the other valve stations look the same. So the question is does anyone know where to find the valves, (I have pictures I dont know if I can post them or not) if you want to see the valve. Also is there a forum or thread where we can share horror stories like this and what we have done to correct them and what not, I have always found it fun to discuss these things and so have my operating engineer buddies.

Frick isn't in the valve business anymore - I'm sure Hansen, Parker or Danfoss would be more than happy to help you choose replacements.

I work in a refrigeration school - might be interested in displaying a couple of those valves if you have good examples of failure modes.

Btw, you've chosen not to be able to receive PM's so I can't send you some of the other info I was going to.

Hi, nh3doctor1 :)

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Originally Posted by nh3doctor1

Ok, I am still pretty young and early/mid carreer experiance in Industrial Refrigeration. I recently moved to a plant that was built in 1979. When I came on the plant still had the same valves they did when it was built. All the globe valves, angle valves are Frick 2 and 4 bolt flange valves ranging between 1" and 4". I cannot seem to find these valves anywhere so i can replace them. 90% of the Frick hand valves do not hold. We had an evap blow a hole in a coil and we tried to isolate it, and of course we couldent so long story short and a whole system pump down we changed out the valve station on that unit and hung a new evap plus changed out a couple other valve stations. When I inspected the cut out out valve stations I found whole buttons in strainers, the mesh of the strainers completly gone, the teflon seats inside strainers so you would think the other valve stations look the same. So the question is does anyone know where to find the valves, (I have pictures I dont know if I can post them or not) if you want to see the valve. Also is there a forum or thread where we can share horror stories like this and what we have done to correct them and what not, I have always found it fun to discuss these things and so have my operating engineer buddies.

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I do not know complete history of your plant neither present status, but according your description complete plant is not in good condition and the best advice I can give you ... make a plan and revamp complete plant part by part ... vessels, pipes, valves, insulation, supports etc. a.s.a.p. ... otherwise, (I do hope will not happen) someone can be badly injured ... believe me, I've been there ...

agree with Brian's suggestion, and maybe you can check Herl valves too ...

http://www.herl.de/herl/english/start_e.htm

http://www.herl.de/herl/english/serv.htm

Best regards, Josip :)

Yeah I would love to give them to GCAP but we had put them outside so not to clutter the shop and someone snagged them all. We will have another project to redo the remaining valve stations. so whenever that happens I will set aside some valves,strainers, etc. for you guys. Always liked GCAP I think highly of Randy and Jeremy, I was the only one to take the RETA CIRO test after Operator 2 class and I got to go to their Christmas party it was really nice. Also if you have an email I can send you pictures of this valve I have looked for it with all the manufacturers you mentioned and they either dont make a replacement or I am not good at searching. It reminds me of an old steam valve. Any ways thanks and if and when they decide to spend the money to replace the remaining stations I wil most certainly get ahold of you or someon at the school.

Contact your local Frick factor, I took the part number for a 2" flanged globe valve that was part of an old LDB screw compressor package and ran it through the Fick parts program. There was a replacement part number and pricing.
So they support the old valves, I don't know to what extent they stock anything, so you may run into long lead times.
You can do a web search for "Frick Factors" for someone in your area.

I think Josip's recommendation for a planned rehabilitation is a must.

I would not replace anymore of the valves than you absolutely must, in order make the system safe, as a temporary measure, while you get the renovation of the facility funded and scheduled.

I looked at the pricing of a Hansen 2" socket weld globe valve versus the 2" flange globe and the Hansen was around half the price. The price difference would offset some of the labor cost of the change to a weld in valve.

The first order of business is an accurate assessment of the material condition , then assigning the repair priorities. You very well may have to stretch this project over several years, the plant didn't get into this shape overnight.

Yeah the plan is to do a total revamp of the systems. We already know it is long over due. It all depends on what exactly the plant is going to do in the future. We are a cold storage so there are a number of ideas floating around right now. My plan that I would like to see happen is to automate as much as possible, put everything on a web based program like the other three plants we have. I would also like to get rid of the old Phillips Control Pressure Reciever and dump trap/pumper drum system we have and get rid of one of our blast systems and put the units that are fed from the Phillips CPR on the Recirculator used for the blast system. But we are building the third plant now and the production side has not decided what market to get into. So we constantly have potential customers in and out of here. So until the corprate side can figure it out I would like to have one or two of these valves on hand so if need be I can swap them out. When I first got here the plan was to shut the plant down, but after we put the fear of god in them that someone is going to get hurt and had them spend the money to get half of the valve stations replaced we were able to save alot of money. We were constantly running 40,000 kwh a day in the spring and winter during peak production, and after the valve stations were changed we have not gone over 34,000 in the summer and this is in the hot muggy south. So that made some eyballs pop out if you know what I mean and they see this plant still has potential. So it is in the plan to get fixed but still it is a corporation and we as maintanance/engineering are always fighting for time and money to fix things. Thank you and everyone else for your help.

You can email me at the school: ammonia@pld.com or directly at ammoniapsm@gmail.com

This is a Ripley's moment but Frick still makes flanged valves....Just not here.

http://www.adarshpressuregauges.com/contactus.htm

I believe it safe to say: Just about all the patterns for "chem style" flanged valves made in the US have migrated to outsourced foundries who have put other people in the business of manufacturing those valves.

One survivor may be Vogt, at least in smaller sizes. I believe that a Frick plant built in 1979 with flanged valves and the test of the kit you describe was quite likely built by a Canadian contractor out of Winnipeg?

Frick has a valve guide for the old Frick valves and others. It has spare part numbers (not sure if they still sell/stock them)

http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publi...PL%20Oct03.pdf