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Took me 6 weeks to find a leak in a 4-inch steam line that was just a bad weld bead
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the_tara2mo ago
Did you try dye penetrant testing before cutting into anything?
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patricia_wells12d ago
...dye penetrant testing might work for some folks but I figure by the time you're chasing a steam leak that's been hiding for six weeks you're way past the point of being careful. Might as well just cut into it and let the steam decide who's having a bad day... either you find the leak or you get a free sauna in your work boots. Honestly I've had more luck with the "cut first, ask questions never" method when it comes to steam... the dye just ends up washing off in the condensation anyway.
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gavin_kim32mo ago
Oh man, SIX weeks for a BAD WELD BEAD? That is brutal. I swear steam systems are like a giant game of hide and seek where the steam ALWAYS wins. I once spent a whole weekend chasing a leak that turned out to be a pin hole behind a support bracket I swore I checked three times. @the_tara, I feel your pain on the dye penetrant question but sometimes you just gotta trust your gut and start cutting. I STILL have nightmares about that weld bead I missed.
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