29 May
Useful information

The importance of installing seismic valves

If during an earthquake your gas pipe breaks, this can cause enormous problems for both your and your family’s safety. Gas leaks can easily cause carbon monoxide poisoning or, in the worst case, they could cause explosions. For this reason, the installation of seismic valves is extremely important.

Installing a system that prevents damage to the gas pipeline during an earthquake is a necessary precaution. During an earthquake, you will not have time to worry about the risk of poisoning with carbon monoxide. Our experts in the installation of seismic valves can ensure that your building is protected in case of such an event. The shut-off valves will prevent the gas pipe from extinguishing the gas in the event of an earthquake to protect your home and family.

The importance of installing seismic valves

Because Romania is located in an area with increased seismic risk, taking precautions is of major importance. Our seismic valves guarantee that you will be prepared for any unpleasant situations. These valves can detect and measure the intensity of an earthquake with an almost non-existent margin of error. If the earthquake reaches 5.2 to 5.4  degrees or more on the Richter scale, the valve will shut off the gas flow without the need for electrical power.

A manually operated seismic valve is useful only if you can quickly reach it and activate it. In the case of a strong earthquake, this will be unlikely. So, if you have a manual valve, you have an increased risk of causing an explosion or a fire in the event of an earthquake. In many areas, installing an automatic seismic valve is just as important as installing a fire detector.

If you do not have a seismic valve installed on the main gas pipe, contact our specialists. They are experts in industrial installations, being aware of the importance of your and your family’s safety. We will do our best to keep your building safe. At Recondi you will find the best products and the kindest staff in the field. Our specialists are licensed, professionally trained and experienced in the installation and supply of seismic valves. We can offer the best solution depending on your application.

10 Apr
Useful information

Functioning of a seismic valve

If you want to install seismic valves or their installation is required by your insurance company, then you will need specialized help in order to install them. In the case that the installation process requires you to shut off the gas supply, then you have to contact the authorized personnel to turn it back on after the installation is complete.

Functioning of seismic valves

When you hire specialized personnel to install the seismic valves, you will benefit from extra safety. Any unauthorized seismic valves found on the gas installation of apartment complexes will be removed. In case that an earthquake or another significant event causes the valve to close, you can follow manufacturer’s instructions in order to reset it. However, in spite of all this, we recommend you to contact a professional to reset the valve. He will also carry out a verification of the gas meter before turning it on. This will ensure that there are no gas leaks.

The seismic valves commercialized by Recondi have a simple patented design and they are easily mounted. A stainless steel ball is mounted onto a pedestal inside of the seismic valve. When in the ON position it allows the gas to pass through. In the case of an earthquake of over 5.4 degrees on the Richter scale, the ball falls off of the pedestal and blocks the passage of the gas. A magnet is hidden behind the gas mask and it pulls up the ball when rotated counterclockwise for one full turn.

The seismic valve is equipped with a clear sight glass in order to see whether the valve is in the ON or OFF position. When the valve is ON, the internal stainless steel ball can be seen through the little window. When the valve if OFF, the ball cannot be seen through the transparent visor.

Seismic valves should be installed by a qualified installer in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer. If installed improperly, it can result in the failure to function as intended, or the unwarranted interruption of the gas service.

17 Mar
Useful information

Why Use Seismic Valves?

Natural gas has started being used in buildings in a widespread manner after the 1900s. With the increase in its use, the accidents related to gas pipes started arising, too. These accidents were generally caused by earthquakes, which led to explosions and fires due to the damages done to the gas pipes. This lead to a need of installing seismic valves.

In 1906 the earthquake that took place in San Francisco caused a big part of the city to be ruined by the fire triggered by fractures in the gas lines. The earthquakes from America and Kobe, Japan, are some of the examples of the fires caused as a result of the explosions of gas pipes during the earthquakes. Therefore, as a result of these incidents, some necessary precautions were needed when it came to the crucial nature of these problems.

After some powerful earthquakes from Turkey in 1999, the use of devices which interrupt the gas flow have been implemented, especially for areas with a high seismic risk, to prevent the risk of explosions and fires that seem to accompany the seismic movements.

The use of seismic valves is considered to be one of the safety measures that must be implemented when it comes to the usage of gas lines in buildings. Nowadays, they are used in countries such as: America, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Romania, etc., all of them being seismic areas. The usage of seismic valves in the aforementioned countries is frequent, especially because their buildings have a high economic value and they require extra protection in case of earthquakes.

Why Use Seismic Valves?

These seismic valves are generally mounted onto the main gas pipe in the building’s entrance. They can function without auxiliary energy and they ensure the closing of the gas supply  in the case of an earthquake. They interrupt the supply of gas in the case of an earthquake with a magnitude of over 5,4 degrees on the Richter scale.

If you use seismic valves, you can rest assured that the gas flow will be automatically interrupted during an earthquake and the gas will be kept outside of the building. In this manner, the danger is prevented before human intervention is needed.

Recondi puts at your disposal the best seismic valves at high quality standards, in order to protect your home in the case of an earthquake. By using Recondi’s seismic valves, you reduce the risk of fires and explosions, protecting, at the same time, your home, life, as well as your material possessions.

15 Feb
Useful information

What are Earthquakes?

The terms used to describe the movements of the earth are earthquake or quake, and they consist in the vibrations generated in the internal areas of the Earth being propagated in waves through the rocks. As a result of these vibrations, the tectonic plates will move, a situation that is often caused by volcanic activity.

The term earthquake is generally used to describe those movements of the tectonic plates which cause major human or material damages, and the term quake or seismic movement is reserved for those aftershocks that go unnoticed. The term non-seismic is used to describe movements resulting from human action. To assess the magnitude of a seismic wave, we use the Richter scale.

Earthquake

Through studies in connection with the seismic activity held at seismic observatories spread across the globe, it was noticed that the movements of the earth’s crust have a circular center of propagation of the seismic waves. The surface point is where the earthquake’s intensity is measured and it’s called the epicenter. Because of this, the intensity of the earthquake is defined both by hypocenter’s depth (measured up to 700 km) and by the intensity and direction of wave propagation.

The intensity which is measured in the epicenter will be so much higher, depending on how close the hypocenter is to the surface. In case of an earthquake, we can distinguish between several types of movements: horizontal, vertical and torsional. Depending on the causes of the earthquake, we can distinguish between earthquakes: tectonic and volcanic earthquakes.

The distribution of earthquakes

There is a map that tracks seismic territories in which intense and frequent earthquakes manifest: the
Mediterranean-Himalayan belt, which includes the Carpathian Mountains and the Vrancea seismogenic zone, the Pacific ring of fire, which produces 80% of all strong earthquakes around the globe and where 90% of the annual seismic energy is concentrated. The rest of seismic areas such as the East African Rift, the Atlantic and Pacific inner side have a comparatively low seismic activity.

Most earthquakes occur frequently in Japan. In Romania, the most powerful earthquakes are located in the Vrancea Mountains and are produced by movements of the earth’s crust. There are, however, areas where there are no earthquakes. These are called aseismic area and are found in Africa, Brazil, Canada, Australia, the Russian platform and Greenland.

Production of earthquakes

The moment when the earthquake begins, the first shock waves will start propagating from the epicenter. The first waves that appear are called primary waves, or P waves. These waves are longitudinal waves propagating like sound and produce bakc and forth movements in the direction of propagation. These waves are followed by some secondary ones, or S waves. Thanks to them, the rocks will move perpendicularly to the direction of propagation. The last type of wave is the surface wave and causes waving, emphasizing the devastating effects of secondary waves.

1. P wave:

  • determines the movement of the earth parallel to the direction of propagation
  • It is a compression-type longitudinal wave
  • moves in the direction of compression-expansion
  • its amplitude is proportional to the magnitude of the earthquake
  • its not dangerous for buildings because it contains only 20% of the total energy of the earthquake
  • people perceive the surface wave just like a bounce, a tiny vertical shock

2. S Wave:

  • determins the movements of the soil particles in a direction transverse to that of propagation
  • it is a shear-like wave
  • it is felt on the surface like a shearing motion
  • its movements are similar to a snake advancing, with undulating movements of left and right
  • it is dangerous because it carries 80% of the total energy of the earthquake, causing damage proportional to the duration and magnitude earthquake oscillation

1. Divergent edges
If two plates whose edges are made up of oceanic crust that are moving away from each other meet, in the empty space, a hot molten rock will emerge, forming volcanoes. The rock will cool in ocean water, hardening and leading to the formation of a new oceanic crust. This crust will push the two oceanic plates, moving them away from one another, causing earthquakes in the area. The place where this phenomenon occurs is called a divergent area.

2.Convergent areas

As a result of the clash between two plates, their edges will be destroyed. The result of destruction depends on the type of crusts that the edges are made out of. So if an oceanic and a continental plate collide, the oceanic one will be forced to go under the continental one, because it is thinner. This is called subduction. The crack where the plate slides underneath the other one is called fossa.

When two oceanic plates collide, the same thing can happen, where one of the plates will go underneath the other. When two continental plates collide, it creates areas of mountains, because the edges colliding will pucker. Through this method, mountains such as the Himalayans were formed. The area where two plates collide is called the convergence zone.

3. When tectonic plates pass by each other, they will slip and unite, rubbing against each other and causing each other to vibrate, creating earthquakes.