Tunstall Thermostatic Trap Repair Kits

lza

Does anyone out there have any reviews on Tunstall thermostatic trap repair kits?  I work as a steamfitter for the Seattle Public Schools, and we often end up retrapping whole schools that have old Warren Websters and Sarcos.  One of the local suppliers carries Barnes & Jones repair kits, but my co-workers aren't too keen on these.  How cost effective are these repair kits, relative to buying a new trap?  Longevity? 



Thanks!

Rod

Steam Trap Rebuilding

Hi- First of all I must state that I’m a homeowner and not a steam pro, so my experience is limited to just having rebuilt less than a couple of dozen steam traps. Based on my very limited experience it would seem to me that rebuilding a trap is far less hassle (and less costly from both material and labor standpoint)  than trying to fit an new trap into the old piping.



Tunstall-  http://www.tunstall-inc.com/   Tunstall is a great company  to work with as they are very helpful and their product/service is excellent.  I would contact them directly as I’m sure they would be happy to help you and answer any questions you might have. They are very knowledgeable about steam traps and unlike a lot of companies, they will work with you whether you are an individual or a large company.  You might consider getting one of their rebuild kits so you could evaluate it with the Barnes and Jones and make you own comparison. I can't tell you anything about longevity as my replacements aren't more than 3 years old. However, based on the good workmanship, I can't see any reason why they shouldn't last at least as long as the original.



You didn’t mention why your co workers were reluctant to do trap rebuilds. It may be that it is the hassle of getting the old trap lids open. At first I was reluctant myself to rebuilding steam traps due to the lid removal problem, but then Gerry Gill, who is a very experienced Cleveland steampro, suggested using an electric impact wrench to remove the lids which, for me, turned a nasty job into a really easy one.  

    Another piece of equipment that might big time saver, especially on a sizable job like the one you have, is IR camera. Here’s a video of Gerry Gill’s using an IR camera for steam  trap testing: http://www.gwgillplumbingandheating.com/webapp/p/496/steam-radiator-trap-thermograghic-testing

As you can see it makes steam trap diagnosis easy.

- Rod