Copper Underground condensate return - expansion joint needed?

elfie

have a 50 foot underground copper condensate return line that began to leak at the expansion joint.



it was an older expansion joint not rated for steam



is there a need for an expansion joint (what is common practice?)



is there a recommended expansion joint 1 1/4 inch that would be appropriate?





i tried to order a steam rate expansion joint and it had to be a custom built joint (ie. not off the shelf which seems odd)



thanks

nicholas bonham-carter

expansion joint

there should not be steam in the condensate return line--only hot water.--nbc

Jamie Hall

Agreed...

after a fashion.  If this is in fact a wet return -- which if it is underground I expect it is -- there should always be water in it, and you can probably get away with an expansion joint rated for hot water.



I apologise if my previous comment on this issue was a little misleading; I hadn't quite added up that this would probably be a wet return.

elfie

underground return is dry

this underground return is not wet as it appears to slope downward into a condensate receiver.



so its a dry underground return that is at risk for steam flow