HOW DOES A SIGHT GLASS WORK?

 At STV VALVE Supplies, we supply a vast range of sight glasses. Industries such as the food and beverage, distilling and brewing utilise sight glasses throughout their whole system and rely on them to observe liquid contained within their process. In this article, we will discuss how a sight glass works and types of sight glasses available.

WHAT IS A SIGHT GLASS USED FOR?

A sight glass is a transparent tube that is used for observing the level of liquid contained within a tank or boiler. Simple sight glasses can be a plastic or glass tube connected to the bottom of the tank at one end and the top of the tank at the other.

They come in various different styles, including:

• Tubular sight glass – This is where the sight glass acts as a transparent tube through which the operator of a tank or boiler can observe the level of liquid contained within.
• Circular sight glass – A circular pane of glass through which an operator can view inside a vessel.
• Sight flow – An in-line style sight glass that allows the flow of a fluid in a pipeline to be observed.

HOW DOES A SIGHT GLASS WORK?

Once installed, sight glasses work as a window enabling operators to observe processes inside tanks, pipes, reactors and vessels. The type of glass used in the manufacturing of sight glasses is either soda lime glass or borosilicate glass, this due to their strength. The metals used are ordinarily a type of stainless steel, these materials are chosen due to their strength.

TYPES OF SIGHT GLASS

There is a vast array of sight glasses to choose from depending on what they will be used for in your system. Below are just a few of the sight glasses we offer here at STV VALVE.

tUBULAR SIGHT GLASS

The Inoxpa 8000 tubular sight glass is made of a stainless-steel frame and a glass tube. The tube becomes part of the system’s pipe, allowing an easy inspection of the product flow in the food-processing, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries. The sight glass is a full-bore design with a 360º viewing angle.

CLAMP FLAT SIGHT GLASS

This clamp flat sight glass consists of a glass attached by means of a clamp. These types of sight glasses are fitted to tanks to inspect the product, level and course of the process. They are widely used in the food-processing, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries.

sanitary din union Sight glass

This Sanitary DIN Union sight glass consists of a glass fastened by means of a sanitary din union. These types of sight glasses are also fitted to tanks to enable the inspection of the product, level and course of the process. This flat sight class has welding connection din 11850.

Threaded cs sight glass

The Threaded CS Sight glass  is a double window DW sight glass. It has been designed for monitoring the operation of a steam trap, to avoid leakage of live steam and consequently big energy losses. The Threaded CS Sight glass  features either female screwed or flanged connections.

For more information on what is a sight glass used for or to hear more about the types of sight glass we supply, speak to STV VALVE Supplies today by calling 0141 762 0657 or email sales@bmengineering.co.uk.