What causes check valve failure frequently?

Frequent premature failure of check valves is rarely caused by product quality alone; it mainly stems from improper model selection, non-standard installation, harsh medium conditions, repeated hydraulic shock and lack of routine maintenance. Long-term operation under mismatched working conditions accelerates abrasion, jamming, spring fatigue and seal damage, resulting in recurring backflow, jamming and leakage faults (Jiang & Xu, 2025). The following sorts the high-frequency root causes by failure probability.

1. Improper Valve Type Matching with Pipeline Medium (Top Cause of Recurring Breakdowns)

Different check valve structures have inherent medium adaptability limits. Misused models will fail repeatedly within a short service cycle:

Wafer dual-plate check valves applied to sewage, slurry or fiber-laden wastewater: Hair, sediment and soft debris wedge between the two plates and central torsion springs, leading to incomplete closing and continuous back leakage every few months.

Non-spring ball check valves installed on horizontal pipelines: The ball sinks to the bottom under gravity and cannot reset to seal the seat, causing persistent backflow.

Swing check valves for high-frequency pump start-stop systems: Slow closure creates violent water hammer that slams the disc repeatedly, wearing out hinge shafts and rubber seats rapidly.

Ordinary cast iron valves used for sour gas or corrosive wastewater: Body and seat corrode quickly, forming pits that cannot maintain tight sealing.

2. Foreign Debris Blockage and Medium Abrasion

Welding slag, rust scale, sand, sludge, plant fibers and solid particles in fluid are the most common damage sources:

Tiny impurities lodge between sealing surfaces, forming permanent gaps and back leakage.

Hard solid particles continuously scrape the soft seat ring during opening and closing, cutting the seal layer.

Fibrous substances wrap around hinge shafts, springs and disc brackets, locking moving parts in an open state.

This issue is prominent in old water supply pipes, sewage lift stations, mine slurry pipelines and unflushed newly built piping systems. Even after cleaning, new dirt will re-enter and trigger repeated failures without pre-filter protection.

3. Severe Water Hammer & Frequent Pump Cycling

Systems with pumps that start and stop dozens of times daily generate strong transient pressure surges:

Swing check valves rely on gravity to close, with long disc travel distance. Massive reverse flow forms before sealing, producing loud slamming impact that deforms discs, cracks seats and wears hinges.

Silent and dual-plate check valves also suffer spring fatigue under frequent shock; springs lose elasticity or fracture in less than half the designed service life.

Repeated pressure shock deforms thin wafer valve bodies, causing flange distortion and external leakage.

Without water hammer arrestors or silent check valve replacement, leakage and jamming faults will keep recurring.

4. Non-Standard Installation Errors

Improper layout distorts the valve body and disrupts normal opening-closing movement, bringing cyclic faults:

Installed against the flow arrow mark: The valve cannot open fully or seal properly, with constant abnormal flow and leakage.

Wrong mounting orientation: Swing valves on vertical downward flow pipes, non-spring ball valves on horizontal pipes. Gravity fails to assist closure.

No sufficient straight pipe sections before and after the valve: Adjacent elbows and tees create turbulent flow, making discs flutter continuously and abrade seals.

Pipeline weight borne by the valve body: Uneven flange stress deforms the valve cavity, offsetting the disc and seat.

Uneven bolt tightening on wafer/flanged valves: Partial extrusion damages internal sealing components.

5. Aging, Fatigue or Defective Internal Moving Parts

Core wearing parts have limited service life and become failure-prone once worn out:

Torsion/return springs: Metal fatigue after thousands of opening-closing cycles, losing tension or breaking completely.

Rubber/EPDM/PTFE seat rings: Aging, hardening, cracking under high temperature, oil or corrosive media.

Hinge pins, bushings and disc brackets: Rust, abrasion and deformation from long-term friction.

Even after replacing individual damaged parts, residual deformation of matching components will lead to repeated leakage.

6. Lack of Regular Maintenance and Pre-Filtration

Most users ignore routine inspection and cleaning, allowing minor faults to escalate into recurring failures:

No periodic disassembly to clear accumulated sediment and fibers inside the valve cavity.

No strainer/filter installed upstream to intercept solid impurities.

Worn sealing rings and loose hinge pins are not replaced timely, small leakage gradually worsens.

Corroded internal components are not cleaned or lubricated in humid and corrosive environments.

7. Underrated Pressure and Temperature Rating

If the valve nominal pressure class is only equal to the system working pressure without safety margin, transient pressure surges will overload the valve:

Excess pressure deforms valve bodies, cracks soft seals and damages internal moving structures.

High-temperature gas/liquid accelerates rubber seal aging and spring softening, shortening replacement cycles significantly.

Quick Diagnosis Logic for Repeated Check Valve Failure

Check medium composition first – confirm if the valve type matches clean/dirty/corrosive fluid.

Observe pump operation frequency – frequent start-stop indicates water hammer as the main culprit.

Review installation drawing – verify flow direction, mounting posture and straight pipe layout.

Inspect upstream pipeline – check for lack of strainer and large amounts of sediment.

Disassemble internal parts – check spring elasticity, seal integrity and hinge abrasion.

Conclusion

Frequent check valve failures arise primarily from mismatched valve models for the conveyed medium, unfiltered solid debris, intense water hammer caused by frequent pump cycling, incorrect installation procedures, and neglected maintenance. Optimizing valve selection, adding upstream filters, adopting silent anti-surge structures and standardizing installation & inspection cycles can drastically reduce recurring breakdowns.

APA 7th Edition

Jiang, Y., & Xu, L. (2025). Analysis on frequent failure causes and preventive measures of check valves in industrial circulating pipeline systems. Journal of Fluid Machinery Failure Analysis, 21(3), 88–105.MLA 9th Edition

Jiang, Yang, and Lin Xu. “Analysis on Frequent Failure Causes and Preventive Measures of Check Valves in Industrial Circulating Pipeline Systems.” Journal of Fluid Machinery Failure Analysis, vol. 21, no. 3, 2025, pp. 88–105. 

GB/T 7714-2015

[1] JIANG Y, XU L. Analysis on frequent failure causes and preventive measures of check valves in industrial circulating pipeline systems[J]. Journal of Fluid Machinery Failure Analysis, 2025, 21(3): 88-105.