There is nothing sexy or glamorous about maintaining a draft beer system . No one ever sells beer drinkers on ‘ the brewing industry ’ s top sanitation measures .’ Instead , consumers are saturated with things like ‘ choicest hops , premium malts , and experienced brew masters .’ For some reason , the people in the brewery marketing department think these words make beer taste better .

Maybe a catchy slogan and a clever advertising campaign will make people think the flavor of the beer is ‘ premium ’, but the reason beer is even drinkable in the first place is that someone who does not work in the marketing department did the boring , tedious , non-sexy job of maintaining the brew system . It is routine work that makes beer drinkable . Sorry to disappoint the marketing team at the brewery , but maintenance makes beer taste way better than any adjective , even if it is a ‘ citrusy explosion of hoppy grapefruit aroma balanced with a robust malty backbone and silky mouthfeel .’

Sounds delicious , right ? Well , none of those flavors are present without proper maintenance .

Importance of Maintenance

A brewmaster will state that ‘ cleanliness is next to holiness .’ If the equipment is not maintained , selling beer will not be a problem because beer that cannot be consumed , cannot be sold . In the valve industry , an experienced and professional operator or field technician will state that a lack of maintenance on an industrial valve results in reduced efficiency , increased leaks , and a higher safety concern . Whether it is in a brewery or with an industrial valve , neglecting maintenance just leaves ‘ a bad taste in the mouth .’ This shared concern on maintenance practices is why “ Everything I need to know about valve maintenance , I learned from beer .”

An industrial valve project is comparable to a three-legged bar stool . There are

three legs that make up the foundation of a successful project ; valve selection , installation , and maintenance . Choosing the appropriate valve for the application is the first of the three legs . With so many application-specific valves , manufacturers spend significant time selecting the most appropriate materials and type of valve . The installation of the valve is a skill , and when aided by technology and engineering , is precise . Of course , precision goes to performance ; the more precise the proper installation is , the better the operation of the valve . The final leg of this proverbial ‘ bar stool ’ is maintenance . Maintenance serves to preserve the integrity of the correctly selected and installed valve but is often overlooked because it is not as visible or as easily noticed .

When buying or selecting a new valve , multiple departments are involved to ensure it will meet the required specifications ; is often the genesis of a project . When installed , there are multiple parties

privy to the application and anticipate the valve going into use . Once the valve is selected , installed , and performing at a high level , the technicians involved in this project set their sights on the next obstacle or assignment . Maintaining that valve is a ‘ down the road ’ project for ‘ someone else ’ to attend to .

This is not to suggest that people do not care about maintenance , or that people will deny the need for it . No professional with an understanding of a valve ’ s importance would ever say , “ Yeah , we do not need to do anything until that valve fails .” Just like no self-respecting bar or brewery would ever say , “ We will clean the tap lines when someone complains about how bad the beer tastes .” Preventative maintenance is essential to the integrity of the asset . Whether one is serving a pint or ensuring the proper flow of media in a pipeline , they never want to be in the position of saying “ Yeah , we decided not to do the scheduled maintenance ” when something goes wrong .