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is this considered a proper swing joint

clammy
clammy Member Posts: 3,162
in Strictly Steam
i can.t understand why but i have been runnig into this lately on a few different steam boiler where the installer came up with his riser and then put 45 on them a close nipple and piped into his header.It s not like i,m following one company but it seems to be a think with a bunch of locale plumbers  .I personally do not think or consider this a swing joint and have had 1 boiler piped this way crack and the guy slide in another one and well it s going on 2 or 3 years and has not crack again but time will tell .They also drop straight down w the equilizer into the return with no offset or swing am i as usually over thinking but i never do it that way and i never have issues and all the boilers i go and look at are either piped in this manner w 1 1/2 or 1 1/4equilizer and return piping and they have issues .i chk the i &o manuals and well they piped to the manafactures specs which are mimiuns .I really can't understand why they just can't follow a drawing in the i&o manual but i guess ya can t do that if you can t read ,theyknow how to sign that check though .Oh yeah on these 45 degreeoffset it was not in a tight spacethere was plenty of room to do a nice job peace and good luck clammy

R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
NJ Master HVAC Lic.
Mahwah, NJ
Specializing in steam and hydronic heating

Comments

  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Offset Swing joints:

    Can you post some pictures of what you are talking about?

    Its my experience that you can do what you describe with copper fittings. But with screw fittings, two 45's used to offset are really just a 90 and can only be used if one connection is perfectly offset from the other, and still falling into the plane of the 2-45's. Otherwise, you have to "spring" it into place and then, you run the risk of cracking a fitting. Unless of course, you use malleable fittings that stretch. There is one plane that will always be under stress and the purpose of a swing joint is lost.

    Like someone playing "Fun With Nipples" because they didn't have a power drive or had no way to cut pipe and thread it.

    All that will (of course) change when they come up with a PEX that you can use on hot water and steam boilers. I'll be up with the old dead  wet heads in the sky before that happens.

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