Actuator Repair Services, or ARS, have every right to be modest when they say that they are the only company in the world to repair all types of valve actuators and valves.

A valve actuator is an electric controlled unit that opens and closes the valves. These are used extensively at power stations as well as at companies such as the Department of Water Affairs, Rand Water and the mines, where it is necessary to operate the valve from a remote source.

This is usually from a control room that is situated some distance from where the actual valves are, such as dams. The valves are then activated and deactivated from one central point, the control room, which can be hundreds of kilometers away.

For instance, at a power station, there can be 13 units and each of these can have up to 600 actuators. Everything is controlled by temperatures, preset valves, air flow and the like, to, in this case, manufacture the electricity.

Actuators are thus needed on virtually everything in order to enable it to operate on a programme – like the wind temperature, air flow, water pressure.

ARS' function is to make sure that the actuators are in top working condition. And to add to this, they also manufacture their own spare parts to quicken any repair process and ensure a quality workmanship throughout. Repairs to manually operated valves also fall under the ARS banner, where they will go in, do the sizing and measuring as well as take the hand wheel off and fit the actuator on with control panel and get it working according to the customer's needs.

They are registered electrical contractors and have included air cons in their services on offer to clients.