GF Manufacturing Launches PURGENVENT Air Venting Valves

AGF Manufacturing Inc., Malvern, Pa., USA, a designer and manufacturer of specialized fire sprinkler products and components, announced the launch of its newest product line, PURGENVENT™. The new air venting valves are designed to remove excess air from sprinkler pipes to meet and/or exceed the new venting requirements established in NFPA 13 (2016).

Corrosion occurs when the oxygen trapped within fire sprinkler systems interacts with water or moisture and the metal pipes. Left unchecked, corrosion can develop into major failures, costing millions in damages. With corrosion-related failures in fire sprinkler systems on the rise, and after much review on corrosion and corrosion reduction by NFPA 13 technical committees, the NFPA has added air venting requirements to the NFPA 13 (2016) standard.

Designed to work alone or in tandem, PURGENVENT™ air venting valves are designed to remove the oxygen trapped in the system to reduce corrosion activity. The valves come in three different models. Each model allows for the simple purging and venting of trapped air, reducing the potential for corrosion in wet fire sprinkler systems.

The PURGENVENT™ air venting valve product line includes both manual and automatic models - Model 7910MAV (manual air venting valve), Model 7900AAV (automatic air venting valve), and Model 7950ILV (inline air venting valve). Model 7910MAV is a 0.5 in. ball valve with integral strainer and ball check. This manual valve is designed to allow for the venting of air while the system is filling. Model 7900AAV is a 1 in. ball valve with integral isolation valve, strainer, purge valve, and automatic air vent. This single body valve with hose threads on the purge valve is designed to allow for the rapid purging of air from the pipes as the system is filling, and the automatic venting of air once the system is operational.

The M7950ILV was developed for use in systems with location restrictions. The M7950ILV utilizes an inline specially designed air/water separation chamber with an air scoop to aid in the separation of air from water during system filling and testing. The separation chamber's larger diameter allows water entering the chamber to expand momentarily and separate from the air which is then scooped into the venting assembly to be released by the M7900AAV.

PURGENVENT™ air venting valves are the smallest air venting valves in the market. Their compact size allows for easier installation and greater flexibility in placement.