APCO Air/Vacuum Valves & Combination Air Valves (AVV)

APCO AVV Air/Vacuum Valves allow large volumes of air to be exhausted from or admitted into a pipeline as it is being filled or drained. They are float operated and have a large discharge orifice equal in size to the valve’s inlet. When filling a pipeline, the Air/Vacuum Valve is open. As the pipeline fills, fluid enters the valve, raises the float and shuts-off. Once the pipeline is filled, the Air/Vacuum Valve closes and remains closed during normal operation. When draining the pipeline, the float drops and allows air to enter, preventing a vacuum and possible pipeline collapse or damaging water column separation. In this way, the large venting orifice protects against vacuum and water column separation or pipeline collapse.

The AVV can also be configured as a Dual Body Combination Air Valve with an ARV Air Release Valve. The dual body style allows use of a wide variety of Air Release Valves with a range of orifices and higher operating pressures. Combination Air Valves combine the functions of both an Air/Vacuum Valve to expel large volumes of air during filling or draining of the pipeline, along with an Air Release Valve to emit small quantities of air during normal operation. Combination Air Valves are typically installed on all high points of a system where both an Air/Vacuum Valve and an Air Release Valve are needed to vent and protect a pipeline.

DeZURIK also offers two styles of APCO Single Body Combination Air Valves: the APCO AVC Single Body Combination Air Valves for clean fluids, or ASU High Performance Single Body Combination Air Valves for use with either clean and dirty fluids. Single body styles are used where compactness is preferred, and/or where risk of tampering exists due to accessibility of the installation.