Why Custom Rubber Seals & Gaskets Are Critical for Safe Drinking Water Systems
Most of us take for granted the water that comes out of our taps. We assume it will always be there and will be safe to drink and use for a number of other purposes. However, it takes a long journey to get to us and undergoes several processes along the way, with lots of components ensuring it reaches our taps.
Amongst those components are rubber seals and gaskets that play an important role in providing a constant flow of safe drinking water.
The Unseen Heroes of Water Systems
Rubber seals and gaskets are small, hidden away and most of the population are completely unaware of their existence. But they play a vital role in the supply of safe water and we cannot manage without them.
The components create watertight seals in pipes, valves and other elements of the water supply system. They prevent water loss through leaks, avoid harmful contamination from external sources and generally preserve the quality and safety of the water supply.
They also have to resist anything that is put into the water and comply fully with safety standards, so they do much more than most people realise. In fact, without effective rubber seals and gaskets, the practical supply of safe drinking water would not be possible.
The Unique Challenges of Drinking Water Applications
Although preventing leaks and keeping water flowing might sound a simple task, rubber seals and gaskets have plenty of challenges to overcome to be able to do that. This is generally achieved by the choice of material needed to deal with particular issues and creating custom seals that are specifically designed for a particular purpose.
Municipal water is not natural because it is treated to make it safe to drink. This usually means adding chlorine or chloramine to kill germs and disinfect the water, and also possibly adding fluoride to improve dental health. Whatever material is used for the seals and gaskets has to be resistant to these chemicals and not affected by them.
Ensuring Contaminant-Free Water
Contamination in the public water supply is an extremely serious issue due to the widespread harm it can cause. Consequently, one of the main purposes of a gasket or seal is to ensure nothing that should not be there can enter the system.
The seals and gaskets themselves must be made from suitable materials that do not leach harmful substances into the water. They cannot be sensitive to any abrasive chemicals that are added and must not use leach-sensitive elastomers that can be harmful to health. Nitrile rubber and EPDM are commonly used in gaskets and seals since they are unaffected by chemicals in water.
Preventing Leaks and Water Loss
The main purpose of seals and gaskets is to create a tight seal between valves, pipe fittings and various other components so that leaks do not occur and water isn’t lost. By doing this, they ensure the correct water pressure is maintained and that the water is delivered efficiently to consumers.
Lower water wastage helps the environment and saves money, which is something that standard seals cannot do well due to not fitting perfectly. Custom versions, however, are specially designed and manufactured to fulfil a particular purpose, so will be of the exact size needed and made from the best material for the job. With water often in short supply, stopping leaks is essential.
Durability and Longevity in Water Environments
External water pipes are generally buried underground while internal pipes are often concealed. Consequently, since access is difficult, they and their components, including seals and gaskets, need to have a long life with minimal maintenance.
To ensure durability and longevity, custom seals and gaskets are designed to withstand particular temperatures, pressures and exposure to chemicals. Durable materials such as EPDM are used since they can resist weathering, ozone and water. This reduces the need for maintenance and replacement by creating a system with long-term integrity.
Addressing Specific System Requirements
Standard seals are unlikely to be suitable for drinking water systems because they don’t have the required features to ensure clean water delivery. A tailored approach means seals and gaskets are guaranteed to fit perfectly, are made from the correct materials to ensure contamination and leaks are avoided, and will perform as required with great reliability.
Custom seals and gaskets are not degraded by additives providing they’re made from the correct materials. Chloramine, for example, can degrade rubber quickly, causing contaminants to leach into the water, so chloramine-resistant alternatives are used instead.
Cost-Effectiveness through Reduced Maintenance
Most pipes and valves in the water supply network are relatively inaccessible so maintenance is a difficult task. To minimise the amount of maintenance needed, many custom seals and gaskets have an expected life of fifty years or more. This is achieved by using a long-lasting rubber compound and a high quality binding agent so the maintenance effort is reduced.
As a result, maintenance and replacement costs are kept to a minimum and the overall cost-effectiveness of the product is improved. This means that, although the custom seals and gaskets are initially more expensive than standard versions, they will be cheaper in the long-term due to reduced maintenance costs.
Supporting Regulatory Compliance and Public Health
The safety of drinking water is so important that the industry is covered by a variety of regulations and standards. All water supplies have to adhere to national standard AS/NZ4020 and to Australia’s Watermark certification scheme. International standard NSF 61 also applies to water system components and all manufacturers of seals and gaskets used for water systems adhere to these standards.
Adherence to standards and protection of the public health is assured by producing high quality seals and gaskets made from materials such as EPDM rubber or lead-free Viton.
If you have any questions about how you can achieve compliance for water safety, contact us and we will help you play your part in ensuring pure and leak-free water supplies.