Safety Valves are used for one reason - safety.When that level is reached, the valve shuts again. Instead, they open gradually, allowing the system to return to the preset pressure level. This means they don’t fly all the way open when the system is slightly overpressure. These valves open in proportion to the increase in system pressure. Relief Valves are designed to control pressure in a system, most often in fluid or compressed air systems.That said, relief valves and safety valves do function slightly differently:

Both are pressure relief valves, and they are designed to let off pressure in any situation where a system becomes overpressurized. The general purpose of both safety valves and relief valves are the same. Do Safety and Relief Valves Do the Same Thing? In other words, the term safety valve refers to a failsafe, last resort valve that will release pressure to prevent a catastrophe, usually in the event that all other relief valves have failed to adequately control pressure within a system. The term safety valve, on the other hand, refers to pressure valves that are designed to protect people, property, and processes. Relief valves are designed to help your facility avoid system failures, and protect equipment from overpressurized conditions. In general, the term relief valve refers to a valve within a pressurized system that is used to control pressure for the optimal functionality of the system. While both terms refer to valves used to release pressure from a pressurized system, their technical definitions are a bit different. Most pressure relief valves are designed to do the same thing - release pressure in a system.īut is there a difference between some of these commonly used terms, and if so, what does it mean for you? Here’s a quick breakdown of two popular terms: safety valve vs. In the industry, we tend to use terms like safety valve and relief valve interchangeably. As you already know, there are a multitude of pressure relief valves out there.

Air safety valve