Nicked a steam line during a repair last Tuesday and had to think fast

I was working on a boiler at a food processing plant in Gary, IN. My grinder slipped and I put a small hole in a 150 psi steam line. I shut the boiler down quick, but we had product on the line that needed heat. I grabbed a soft patch and clamped it on with a C-clamp while the shift supervisor called the plant manager. It held for 4 hours until we could weld it proper. Has anyone else had to patch something live like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_price2425d ago

Man, you had a 150 psi line screaming at you and your first move was a C-clamp and a prayer? That's not a patch, that's a MacGyver episode waiting to happen. I half expect you to tell me you used a stick of gum and a shoelace next time. But hey, 4 hours holding? That's solid work for a temp fix (even if it made every safety guy within a mile pop a blood vessel). Glad you got the boiler shut down fast though, because that kind of leak turns into a whistle real quick.

wells.karen25d ago

That 150 psi line at 3am on a Sunday... I get your point, but honestly, a C-clamp and a rubber patch was all I had. No safety guy within 50 miles at that hour. The boiler room was locked, shift manager was MIA. You learn to work with what's on the truck. Four hours holding is four hours of not having a geyser inside a 40 year old building. Yeah it's a hack fix, but hacks keep the lights on until the real crew shows up Monday. I'd rather have a sketchy patch than a floor full of steam and a $10k cleanup bill.