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Steam riser: flange or coupling?

vaporvac
vaporvac Member Posts: 1,520
in Strictly Steam
Quick question... is it OK to use unions instead of flanges for disconnects on the steam risers? As usual, thanks for any input. C
Two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system; 1466 edr
Twinned, staged Slantfin TR50s piped into 4" header with Riello G400 burners; 240K lead, 200K lag Btus. Controlled by Taco Relay and Honeywell RTH6580WF

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,876
    Why not?

    except for one minor detail -- how would you get it apart again if you ever had to?  If you've got that one covered...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • vaporvac
    vaporvac Member Posts: 1,520
    Meant Union!!!

    Sorry, meant to write union, NOT coupling. Would that work? I need more sleep.
    Two-pipe Trane vaporvacuum system; 1466 edr
    Twinned, staged Slantfin TR50s piped into 4" header with Riello G400 burners; 240K lead, 200K lag Btus. Controlled by Taco Relay and Honeywell RTH6580WF
  • ALIGA
    ALIGA Member Posts: 194
    Most small systems use unions

    Larger systems use flanges from pics I have seen
  • Dave in QCA
    Dave in QCA Member Posts: 1,788
    in atreement

    If it were my system, 2" or smaller I'd use a union. Anything larger I'd use flanges.
    Dave in Quad Cities, America
    Weil-McLain 680 with Riello 2-stage burner, December 2012. Firing rate=375MBH Low, 690MBH Hi.
    System = Early Dunham 2-pipe Vacuo-Vapor (inlet and outlet both at bottom of radiators) Traps are Dunham #2 rebuilt w. Barnes-Jones Cage Units, Dunham-Bush 1E, Mepco 1E, and Armstrong TS-2. All valves haveTunstall orifices sized at 8 oz.
    Current connected load EDR= 1,259 sq ft, Original system EDR = 2,100 sq ft Vaporstat, 13 oz cutout, 4 oz cutin - Temp. control Tekmar 279.
    http://grandviewdavenport.com
  • MDNLansing
    MDNLansing Member Posts: 297
    Flanges

    Not a pro, but flanges are much easier to manage with a flange separator. Other than ease of cracking it open down the road, it can't see why one is better than the other though. All the pics of installs done right seem to use either. The old timer teaching me uses flanges, his partner uses unions. I can tell you that if unions didn't work, they would use them at all.
  • Charlie from wmass
    Charlie from wmass Member Posts: 4,377
    price

    that is why we use flanges over 2". Also using 3/4" wrenches is easier then the 4' pipe wrench when tightening up 4" pipe.
    Cost is what you spend , value is what you get.

    cell # 413-841-6726
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/charles-garrity-plumbing-and-heating
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