For engineers, procurement teams, and facility managers across New England who have been navigating a fragmented market for specialty valves, this appointment brings a significant consolidation of expertise under one roof.
What This Means for New England Customers
RF Valve has built a strong international reputation around three core product categories: pinch valves, air release valves, and knife gate valves. Each product line addresses specific and often demanding flow control challenges — the kind that show up regularly in wastewater treatment plants, industrial processing facilities, pulp and paper mills, chemical handling systems, and municipal water infrastructure.
Until now, accessing this depth of product knowledge and technical support required customers to navigate multiple channels. With PSI taking the helm as the regional distributor, that changes. Whether a municipality is specifying air release valves for a new water main project or a food processing plant needs a reliable pinch valve solution for a slurry application, there is now a single, knowledgeable point of contact for all of it in New England.
The RF Valve Brand Family
Understanding what PSI now represents requires a closer look at the brands under the RF Valve umbrella.
RF Valve is perhaps best known for its flagship pinch valves, which operate at working pressures up to 300 PSI. What sets these apart is a patented no-stretch tube fold design — expansion arches that flex rather than stretch during closure, resulting in significantly longer sleeve life — combined with the SMART Valve™ Wear Sensor Indicator Wire, which alerts maintenance teams that a tube is worn before it fails. In industries where downtime is expensive, that kind of predictive maintenance capability is genuinely valuable.
Vent-O-Mat specializes in combination anti-shock air release and vacuum break valves for water, sewage, slurry, and tailings applications. The brand is recognized for its anti-shock surge control technology, which has become a critical specification in municipal water and wastewater projects. Vent-O-Mat products can be manufactured to comply with Buy America, the American Iron and Steel Act, and Buy American requirements — a meaningful consideration for publicly funded infrastructure projects throughout the region.
aiRFlex rounds out the pinch valve offering with a more cost-accessible option for low-pressure applications. The non-stretch design is the key differentiator here: it extends elastomer tube life two to three times compared to conventional air-actuated pinch valves, which translates directly to lower operating costs over time. Like the flagship RF Valve line, aiRFlex also includes the SMART Valve™ Wear Sensor Indicator Wire, so maintenance teams have advance warning before a tube reaches the end of its service life. The valve handles liquids and powders alike, making it a practical choice across a wide range of light industrial and commercial applications.
RF-SKG knife gate valves are purpose-built for slurry and demanding media. When fully open, no metal parts contact the flowing media — a design choice that dramatically reduces wear and extends service life in abrasive environments. The bi-directional shut-off capability with zero downstream leakage makes these valves a natural fit for pulp and paper, mining, and chemical processing operations.
RF-INSAMCOR brings heavy-duty sealed knife gate valve technology to the portfolio. Designed for abrasive slurries, sludge, scaling media, and bulk solids, these valves feature a ductile iron and stainless steel body with a leak-proof molded rubber seal ring. When the application is truly demanding, INSAMCOR is the answer.
Why Piping Specialties, Inc.?
PSI has been a trusted name in fluid handling and flow control across New England for decades. The company has built its reputation by pairing deep product knowledge with responsive, application-specific technical support — something that matters enormously when specifying valves for complex systems where the wrong choice can lead to costly failures or premature replacement.
The selection of PSI as the RF Valve distributor for the region reflects a shared commitment to long-term customer relationships over transactional sales. PSI doesn't just sell valves; they help engineers and facility managers find the right solution for each application, then back it up with the kind of support that keeps systems running reliably over time.
Serving the Full Range of New England Markets
The scope of the agreement covers industrial, commercial, and municipal markets — which essentially means PSI can now address the full spectrum of flow control needs across the region. Municipal water and wastewater utilities will find particular value in the Vent-O-Mat and RF Valve air release products, while industrial customers in food processing, chemical handling, power generation, and pulp and paper will benefit from the knife gate and pinch valve lines.
For anyone sourcing specialty valves in New England, this appointment consolidates access to a world-class product portfolio through a regional partner that already understands the region's unique project requirements, seasonal considerations, and regulatory environment.
For more information about RF Valve's full product line, visit rfvalve.com. To speak with Piping Specialties, Inc. about your New England project requirements, contact PSI directly.
