Operation for Overhead Fire Valve

Good luck closing the valve once some crud falls into the down-pointing stem/seal area.

Do you have a scissors lift that can reach these, and then just operate by hand? Or, from the floor, an extension pole with a "chess rook" top to engage the valve wheel?

Have you tried using a standard chain operator and a jackshaft with two pullys on it attached adjacent to the valve. This would allow the chain operator to operate at a 90 degree angle from the valve handle.

Because of the rising stem design- i think your solution will work fine. Just have the shaft fall to about 5 feet above ground so virtually any one can operate. Tie the shaft off the pipe with a double wrap of vinyl electrician's tape and have a minimum 1/4" nylon rope attached to the handle hanging down to about 6 feet above the floor.

What about motorized control valve? I am not an expert on this subject.

"A chain wheel is impossible because the valve stem is down"

Make it possible, just by changing the orientation of valve to horizontal to get easy solution. Other solutions could be a movable platform (with built-in ladder & hand railings) or remote operation of valve (pneumatic or electri operated).

It is too late to cry over spilt milk or correct a very bad design (inverted valves) so what to do?

Try this:

1. Buy a valve modification kit to convert the standard Gate Valve top works and hand wheel to a Bevel Gear operated hand wheel. http://www.asia-valve.com/gate-valve/flanged-gate-valve.html

2. Then add a "Babbitt" (or equal) Chain Wheel Operator to the hand wheel of the Bevel Gear. http://www.babbittsteam.com/

Why have you got shut off valves in a fire safety/sprinkle system? In most countries this is prohibited by law.

this is what i mean.

1. Valve stem can be change o horizontal direction because of space limit.

2. Because of over budget, I can't buy some expensive gearbox, enginer operate, ....

3. We have some separate room, ABS rules require some valve on fire main.

4. the room is small so we must use the simple, small things (so i wondering jackshap is a bit complicate and large thing).

Since you have a flanged valve, you should first remove it and rotate until the stem is at least higher than the 90 to 270 degree arc (aiming up). Then, you should determine why the valve is closed. A sprinkler system should not have ANY closed valves unless they are electrically operated by a fire control system. Additionally, any shutoff valves (as this appears to be) that are designed for maintenance purposes only, should have a supervisory switch installed to alert when the valve is shut. If you have a deluge sprinkler system (all heads are open) switch them out to closed heads which are activated open by heat.

I can provide you with a solution, but is quick and dirty. Take a crank with a long shaft, as long as, when you open or close the valve, the crank to be chest high and weld at the end a U prong, with the distance between prongs a little bigger then the rim of the hand wheel. When you want to close or open the valves simply take the crank, put the U on the rim of desired hand wheel with the shaft in vertical position and turn. You can make a support on the wall where you keep when not in use, near the valves.

A better solution is to have the end of the shaft bend to form a hook, whit the other arm about 2-3" long with which you hook up the desired hand wheel rim. This way, the crank will hang on the wheel.

I like your first comment on the universal jointed extension. If this is the only way to use the valve because of positioning and perhaps space to the side that would preclude repositioning it for the use of a chain wheel. If you do elect to use your first option, please consider providing two supports of some design on the area where you propose to have the hand wheel accessible, and just below where the universal joint system would connect to the valve stem. You should also be able to adapt this to the point that the hand wheel could be eliminated at the valve, instead placing a pinned sleeve from the upright bottom of your extension directly to the stem of the valve. This would eliminate the hand valve, which can be a fragile part of the system should the valve become corroded internally for whatever reason. By supporting the extension shaft you would ensure a straight in-line mechanism for the action versus a floppy hand control system. Less chance of causing an accidental bind in the instance of a gotta do it now action! Is this pipeline a drain for the water of a suppression layout, or does it actually control a leg of a sprinkler system? Thanks. Good luck!

As already mentioned, there are mechanical linkage remote operators that can be attached to operate the valve. There are also cable operated ones. Had lots of both types on the ships I was on. Some of the remote operators were as long as 10-15 feet. They shouldn't cost too much to obtain and install.