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Introduction to Valves - Leak testing of Valves
standards for acceptable Rates of Valve Leakage
American Petroleum Institute (API)
The API standard 598: Valve Inspection and Testing, covers the testing and inspection requirements for gate,
globe, check, ball, plug & butterfly valves. It has acceptable leakage rates for liquid as well as gas testing. All valves
built to the various API standards are required to meet API-598 leakage criteria prior to shipment from the
manufacturer or supplier.
API 598 states for shell and backseat tests, no visible leakage is permitted. If the fluid is a liquid, there shall be no
visible evidence of drops or wetting of the external surfaces (no visible leakage through the body, body liner, if any,
and body-to-bonnet joint and no structural damage).
If the test fluid is air or gas, no leakage shall be revealed by the established detection method. For both the low-
pressure closure test and the high-pressure closure test, visual evidence of leakage through the disk, behind the seat
rings, or past the shaft seals (of valves that have this feature) is not permitted (Plastic deformation of resilient seats
and seals is not considered structural damage). The allowable rate for leakage of test fluid past the seats, for the
duration of the tests, is listed in the following table:
Valve Size
NPS
All Resilient
Seated Valves
All Metal-Seated Valves
(except Check Valves)
Metal-Seated
Check Valves
Liquid Test
(drops/min.)
Gas Test
(bubbles/min.)
Liquid Test
(drops/min.)
Gas Test
(bubbles/min.)
< 2 0 0 (1) 0 (1) (2) (3)
2 - 6 0 12 24 (2) (3)
8 - 12 0 20 40 (2) (3)
> 12 0 28 56 (2) (3)
General Notes:
1 milliliter is considered equivalent to 16 drops.
For check valves larger than NPS 24, the allowable leakage rate
shall be per agreement between purchaser and manufacturer.
Notes:
1. There shall be no leakage for the minimum specified test duration. For liquid test, 0 drop means no visible leakage per minimum
specified test duration. For gas test, 0 bubble means less then 1 bubble per minimum specified test duration.
2. The maximum permissible leakage rate shall be 0.18 cubic inch (3 cubic centimeters) per minute per inch of nominal pipe size.
3. The maximum permissible leakage rates shall be 1.5 standard cubic feet (0.042 cubic meter) of gas per hour per inch of nominal pipe
size.
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Manufacturer's Standardisation Society (MSS)
The MSS standard MSS-SP-61: Pressure Testing of Valves was originally adopted in 1961. It was developed for
the purpose of providing a uniform means of testing valves commonly used in the "full open" and "full closed" type of
service. It is not intended for use with control valves. Refer to standard ANSI/FCI 70-2 for Control Valves.
Section 5 of their Pressure Testing of Steel Valves, relates to seat closure tests, and defines the following leakage
rates:
Gate, Globe, Ball valves:
10 cc/hr per inch of nominal pipe diameter. (Example: A 6" globe valve is allowed to leak 60 cc/hr in a test)
Check valves:
40 cc/hr per inch of nominal pipe diameter
All shutoff or isolation valves specified to MSS-SP-61 must pass the above standards. The seat closure test must be
performed at a fluid (liquid or gas) pressure no less than 1.1 times the 1000F (380C) rating rounded to the next 5
psi (0.5 bar).
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
The ANSI standard FCI 70-2: Control Valve Seat Leakage, establishes a series of six seat leakage classes for
control valves and defines the test procedures.
Class I. Is also know as dust tight and can refer to metal or resilient seated valves.
Class II. This class establishes the maximum permissible leakage generally associated with commercial double-seat
control valves or balanced single-seat control valves with a piston ring seal and metal-to-metal seats.
Class III. This class establishes the maximum permissible leakage generally associated with Class II (4.2.2), but with
a higher degree of seat and seal tightness.
Class IV. This class establishes the maximum permissible leakage generally associated with commercial unbalanced
single-seat control valves and balanced single-seat control valves with extra tight piston rings or other sealing means
and metal-to-metal seats.
Class V. This class is usually specified for critical applications where the control valve may be required to be closed,
without a blocking valve, for long periods of time with high differential pressure across the seating surfaces. It
requires special manufacturing, assembly and testing techniques. This class is generally associated with metal seat,
unbalanced single-seat control valves or balanced single-seat designs with exceptional seat and seal tightness.
CLASS VI. This class establishes the maximum permissible seat leakage generally associated with resilient seating
control valves either unbalanced or balanced single-seat with "O" rings or similar gapless seals.
Leakage
Class
Maximum
Leakage
Allowable
Test Medium Test Pressure Test Procedure
I
... ... ... No test required,
as long as purchaser and vendor both agree.
II
0.5% of rated
capacity
Air or water at
50-125F (10-
52)
45-60 psig or max.
operating
differential
whichever is lower
Pressure applied to valve inlet with outlet
open to atmosphere or connected to a low
head loss measuring device full normal
closing thrust provided by actuator.
III
0.1% of rated
capacity
As above As above As above
As above As above As above
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IV
0.01% of rated
capacity
V
0.0005 ml per
minute of water per
inch of port diameter
per psi differential
Water at 50 to
125F (10 to
52C)
Max service
pressure drop
across valve plug,
not to exceed ANSI
body rating.
Pressure applied to valve inlet after filling
entire body cavity and connected piping with
water and stroking valve plug closed. Use net
specified max actuator thrust, but no more,
even if available during test. Allow time for
leakage flow to stabilize.
VI
Not to exceed
amounts shown in
following table based
on port diameter.
Air or nitrogen
at 50 to 125 F
(10to52C)
50 psig or max
rated differential
pressure across
valve plug
whichever is lower.
Actuator should be adjusted to operating
conditions specified with full normal closing
thrust applied to valve plug seat. Allow time
for leakage flow to stabilize and use suitable
measuring device.
CONTROL VALVE SEAT LEAKAGE CLASSIFICATIONS
Nominal
Port Diameter
Inches
Nominal
Port Diameter
mm
Leak Rate
ml/min
Leak Rate
bubbles/min
3 76 0.9 6
4 102 1.7 11
6 152 4 27
8 203 6.75 45
10 250 11.1 ...
12 300 16 ...
14 350 21.6 ...
16 400 28.4 ...
Note:
Bubbles per minute as tabulated are a suggested alternative based on a suitable calibrated measuring device, in this case a 0.25-inch OD
X 0.032-inch wall tube submerged in water to a depth of from 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
The tube end shall be cut square and smooth with no chamfers or burrs. The tube axis shall be perpendicular to the surface of the water.
Other measuring devices may be constructed and the number of bubbles per minute may differ from those shown as long as they
correctly indicate the flow in milliliters per minute.
International organization for standardization (ISO)
The purpose of ISO standard 5208: Industrial valves - Pressure testing of metallic valves, is the
establishment of basic requirements and practices for pressure testing valves of various configurations that are used
in general purpose, power generation, petroleum, and petrochemical or allied industry applications. The intent is to
provide a consistent set of procedural requirements and acceptance criteria that can be considered in conjunction with
valve specific standards appropriate for specific applications. Account has been taken of the valve testing requirement
needs of EN 12266 and API 598 with requirements referenced for PN designated valves for the former and Class
designated valves for the latter.
Prescribed pressure tests
TEST DN
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PN
OR
CLASS
GATE
VALVE
GLOBE
VALVE
PLUG
VALVE
(A)
CHECK
VALVE
FLOATING BALL
OR
DIAPHRAGM
VALVE
BUTTERFLY OR
TRUNNION
MOUNTED
BALL VALVE
SHELL TEST
LIQUID
ALL ALL REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED
SHELL TEST
GAS
ALL ALL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL
BACKSEAT TEST
(B, C)
LIQUID
ALL ALL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL
NOT
REQUIRED
NOT
REQUIRED
NOT
REQUIRED
NOT
REQUIRED
CLOSURE TEST
GAS
LOW-PRESSURE
DN 100
CLASS 1500
AND
PN 250
REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED REQUIRED
CLASS >1500
AND
PN >250
OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL
DN >100
CLASS 600
AND
PN 100
REQUIRED OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL REQUIRED REQUIRED
CLASS >600
AND
PN >100
OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL
CLOSURE TEST
LIQUID
HIGH-PRESSURE
DN 100
CLASS 1500
AND
PN 250
OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL OPTIONAL
CLASS >1500
AND
PN >250
REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED
DN >100
CLASS 600
AND
PN 100
OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED OPTIONAL OPTIONAL
CLASS >600
AND
PN >100
REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED REQUIRED OPTIONAL REQUIRED
Notes:
1. Successful completion of an optional test does not relieve the manufacturer from also successfully completing the required test.
2. In the case of resilient seated valves, a high-pressure closure test may degrade subsequent closure sealing performance in low-
pressure applications.
(A) Plug valves that rely on a sealing compound to effect a closure seal may be closure tested with the compound installed.
(B) Successful completion of a backseat test should not be interpreted as a recommendation by the valve manufacturer that, while an
installed valve is pressurized, the stem seal may be altered, repaired or replaced when backseated.
(C) In the case of bellows stem sealed valves, a backseat test is not required.
Maximum allowable closure test leakage rate
TEST
FLUID
UNIT
LEAKAGE
RATES
RATE
A
RATE
AA
RATE
B
RATE
C
RATE
CC
RATE
D
RATE
E
RATE
EE
RATE
F
RATE
G
LIQUID
MM3/S
(1)
0.006
X
DN
0.01
X
DN
0.03
X
DN
0.08
X
DN
0.1
X
DN
0.3
X
DN
0.39
X
DN
1
X
DN
2
X
DN
DROPS/S
0.0001
X
DN
0.00016
X
DN
0.0005
X
DN
0.0013
X
DN
0.0016
X
DN
0.0048
X
DN
0.0062
X
DN
0.016
X
DN
0.032
X
DN
GAS
MM3/S
(1) 0.18
X
DN
0.3
X
DN
3
X
DN
22.3
X
DN
30
X
DN
300
X
DN
470
X
DN
3000
X
DN
6000
X
DN
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BUBBLES/S 0.003
X
DN
0.0046
X
DN
0.0458
X
DN
0.3407
X
DN
0.4584
X
DN
4.5837
X
DN
7.1293
X
DN
45.837
X
DN
91.673
X
DN
Notes:
(1) No visually detectable leakage for the duration of the test
1. The leakage rates only apply when discharging test fluid to the atmosphere.
2. The closure leakage rate that applies is either that identified in a valve product standard or a leakage rate identified in a purchaser's
valve procurement purchase order that is more stringent than that specified in the product standard.
3. The meaning of "No visually detectable leakage" is that there is no visible weeping or leakage in the form of drops or bubbles.
4. There is a loosely defined correspondence between the leakage rate acceptance values of API 598 and the leakage values Rate A as
applied to DN 50, Rate AA-Gas and Rate CC-Liquid for other than metal seated check valves and for check valves Rate EE-Gas and
Rate G-Liquid. Rates A, B, C, D E, F and G correspond to values in EN 12266-1.
Remark(s) of the Author...
Types of Leakage
There are two types of leakage from a valve, namely; fugitive emissions from the valve to atmosphere, and
leakage through the valve but contained within the piping system.
Fugitive emissions can both be detrimental to the environment and a potential safety hazard. Valves are
considered to be the major contributors to fugitive emission losses.
Leakage through the valve can also be a safety hazard, and can be detrimental to the process.
Reasons that Valves leak
Common causes of leakage through the valve include:
Valve is not fully closed. This can be due to various reasons, including;
Valve seat is prevented from closing fully due to dirt, rust, or line debris
Insufficient actuator travel
The seat is damaged, e.g. scored
The seal is damaged
Common causes of leakage to atmosphere:
Gasket between valve-body and valve-bonnet is damaged
Stem Pakking is worn, loose or damaged
Both of them can have several causes
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Werner Slken 2008 - 2014. All rights reserved.
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