Glycol Piping

Al Corelli

If Permatex and Wick can't seal it, it cannot be sealed.

Brad White_9

Glycol Piping, Joints, etc.

Hey Guys and Girls,
I have been following the glycol-related threads and this brings up an issue we have in our office (consulting engineers). We have had glycol leak issues; as stated in one posting, glycol will leak in places water will not. Low surface tension despite higher viscosity and all that.

Generally we specify as a default welded/soldered joints only, especially in concealed/inaccessible piping and keep threaded joints to a minimum. (You need them, you have to, we know.) For threaded joints we specify Rectorseal #7 (not #5). Not teflon tape although both together should not do harm.

Our default standard is 30% propylene glycol by weight for burst protection but adjust to 40% PG on a per-job basis.

Open question is: What in your opinions constitutes the "Best Practice" with regards to materials, joints, thread dopes? Also, valve models and seal standards.

Thanks!

bob young

permatex

on threaded joints when it counts ----permatex & lampwick. if that don't work ,you won't get anything that will. and of course equal parts of proper torque & muscle.

hr

As few threaded joints

as possible! With propress fittings becoming less expensive and easier to find, this is one solution.

However most all boilers have threaded connections

Crappy fittings these days make it hard to get a seal with only pipe dope.

Seems you really need the teflon tape to fill in the voids and bad machining that is prevelant in the fitting world these days.

I still go with a wrap of T-tape and that blue Leak Lock stuff.

If I have a brass or copper threaded connection (ie early Spiro vents), I flux and solder the threaded joint also!

As you noticed from my other glycol post it ALWAYS finds a crack somewhere. Just hope it is an easily fixable one.

Glycol will find bad solder joints rather quickly also

hot rod

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Brad White_16

Solder Joints

Absolutely, Hot Rod. Any bad joint. The leakage problem we encountered was just that, a poorly soldered joint. It would have leaked water which is bad enough. But the glycol made a mess like you read about, and a week before the school opened too.

Being public work, we need to list three names of manufacturers and what might be proprietary systems. Wonder if ProPress (Viega's system) has competition? That sounds like another alternative. The gaskets are OK with PG? I have heard that EDPM or other compounds soften.

Thanks!
Brad

Ragu

Whew!

Leak Lock and tape has been my best so far, but Permatex, wicking and muscle sound really good.

Most of my glycol leaks on valves have been been brand name components but made overseas. The last I heard Apollo (Conbraco) was the only truly U.S. made valve. I'd like to find the best.

Glycol to me is like a love/hate relationship.