Looking for 1 1/2 inch orifice plates

The Steam Whisperer

I've asked about these before, and was just seeing if there are any new sources. I'm going to need about 2 dozen for an industrial building heating system.

mattmia2

I thought Tunstall will make them. Oh, i see, they only list up to 1.25".

ScottSecor

Not sure if either if of these will help?

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/orifice-plates/

https://usaindustries.com/orifice-plates-flow-measurement/series-500-universal-orifice-plates/

ScottSecor

Would something as simple as a stainless steel washer work or must they be brass?

EBEBRATT-Ed

A good sheet metal shop could make them.

The Steam Whisperer

I like those plates that appear to fit in flanges. Those could be really nice for balancing flows through branch steam mains.

The plates I am looking for are the type that Tunstall sells for going into a union, but for the bigger 1 1/2 inch size. I am using these to allow us to run outdoor reset of a steam system that uses large overhead unit heaters. We will reset the boiler input based on outdoor temperature to intrinsically reset the supply pressure into the system and create partial heating of the unit heaters coils. This should allow us to get good control over the complete system and prevent gross overheating ( most of the unit heaters have no thermostats for the fans, just manual on and off).

mattmia2

Could you just reduce it to 1.25" at the orifice plate and use the tunstal plates? I don't think you're going to make the hole anywhere near the full 1.25" anyhow.

The Steam Whisperer

Its all existing piping, so I don't really want to make many changes. I ordered out a hole punch to see if I can just stamp them out myself.

mattmia2

A machine shop with a punch press that goes that large should be able to make 1 or 100 with virtually the same labor.

clammy

You could most likely make them yourself using a sheet of copper and make a stamp tool out of an old spud end of a supply valve and figure out your hole size nothing too large . I had gotten some from turnstal through abc supply customer picked them up .remember adding orafices is not for every radiator and for a non issue be sure there top feed and 2 pipe other wise you may end up w some hammer . They are a great tool for de knuckle heading 2 pipe vapor systems where original valves have been removed and replaced w standard supply valves which end up through things out of balance and w trap less systems steam ends up in the dry returns and just stops all action like the brakes on a good time or a wife on your good time same stuff .
Peace and good luck clammy

The Steam Whisperer

I'm working with a local shop to see if they can CNC them out of copper sheet. I've probably done a couple thousand radiators with orifices. I use them on just about all 2 pipe systems I work with to allow stage fired boilers or full mod input boilers resetting on outdoor temperature. They are certainly for 2 pipe only, though last year I did a one pipe system with them but I was able to repipe the supply to provide drips for each radiator supply.