MECHANICAL CONTRACTING Mechanical Piping 68
degree of system maintenance. The efficiency and life of pumps can be reduced greatly by floating debris in the system, and boilers, water heaters and pressure reducing valves in larger buildings are all subject to wear and tear, increasing maintenance obligations. Erosion can happen over time in
P
bearings and impellers, requiring pump maintenance. In addition, a piping system would need maintenance or replacement if the lines become corrupt. These concerns are easily addressed in piping systems that have been installed with grooved mechanical pipe joining products, as these products, compared to other joining methods, are inherently easier to work with during maintenance activities. Periodic inspections, physical
changes or expansion to the piping system, as well as unscheduled repairs, are three of the most common types of piping system maintenance. Periodic inspections ensure that the system is intact and that water softeners, filters and water heaters are operating at maximum efficiency. Physical changes are performed to adjust existing installations, replace old piping or expand an existing system. Unscheduled repairs are the most time sensitive, because they usually need to be done immediately and often require a system shutdown. Grooved mechanical pipe joining
systems offer many maintenance benefits, including the ability to reduce unscheduled maintenance time, due to ease of disassembly and reinstallation, as well as improvements in safety, system reliability and reduction of system fatigue. A quick look at the details of a grooved mechanical coupling
iping systems in structures both large and small will nearly always require some
reveals how grooved mechanical piping systems make piping system maintenance faster, easier and safer than other joining methods.
Grooved mechanical joints A grooved mechanical pipe joint
is comprised of four elements: the grooved pipe, the gasket, the coupling housings and the nuts and bolts. The groove is made by cold forming or machining a groove into the end of a pipe. A gasket, encompassed by the coupling housing, is wrapped around two pipe ends, and the key sections of the coupling housing engage the grooves that are cold formed into the pipe. The bolts are then tightened with a socket wrench or impact wrench. In the installed state, the coupling housing encases the gasket and engages the grooves around the circumference of the pipe to create a leak-tight seal in a self-restrained pipe joint. Grooved pipe joints can employ
one of two basic coupling styles: flexible or rigid. Flexible couplings allow a limited amount of linear and angular movement, while rigid couplings create a rigid joint and do not allow movement, similar to a flanged or welded joint. There are benefits to both styles. A rigid coupling can be used wherever immobility in the pipe joint is needed. Flexible couplings are designed to accommodate piping expansion, contraction and deflection, and thus are ideal as joints around equipment connections, for changes in piping direction and in the building of expansion/seismic joints. Grooved mechanical systems are
available in a broad range of sizes for a wide variety of piping applications; they are most widely used, however, in fire protection, HVAC and plumbing applications
Systems: Keeping Your Structure Safe and Maintainable
By Dave Hudson
including potable water systems, storm water systems, roof drain systems, vacuum plumbing systems and rain, waste and vent systems. Grooved copper systems are most commonly used for joining domestic water systems in 2 – 8" /50 –200mm sized copper tubing. Grooved stainless steel systems offer an alternative to copper in many applications.
Safety One of the many maintenance
benefits of grooved piping is the increased safety during installation and maintenance, decreasing the risks to the contractor and building occupants. Grooved mechanical piping
systems are safer than other pipe joining methods. They enable contractors to assemble piping flame-free within the facility, eliminating the fire hazards typically associated with soldering and brazing. Those methods, like welding, are rife with hazards, including fire risk, electric shock and exposure to compressed gases and toxic fumes. They also require personal protection for the eyes, hands, feet and body. Welding, soldering and brazing also involve many time- consuming steps to join pipes correctly and require a fire watch during these procedures. This can slow the schedule and increase costs. Because no flame, arc or gases are
required to join a pipe with grooved couplings, the grooved system does not require additional man-hours or jobsite preparation and does not introduce toxic fumes to the facility. Safety on the jobsite is always
important; it becomes even more critical, however, during maintenance projects in buildings such as hospitals and schools, which often must remain open and operational during maintenance.
phc july 2011
www.phcnews.com
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