Too much expansion/vibration?

Bill Clark

shows a situation where an array of pumps is tightly connected to a plate HX and a boiler. (The grayed-out stuff is old work to be removed.) I'm wondering if pump vibration and/or thermal expansion is likely to damage the HX.

Details:
A frame wall (at left) butts into a bedrock wall (background) at right angles. A plate HX is secured to the frame wall by a weldment (not shown). The U-shaped weldment supports the HX at the bottom and sides; the HX is held in the weldment by a web strap. Three pumps will be arrayed side by side (middle pump shown). Pumps will be supported at top and bottom piping by a weldment (not shown) bolted to bedrock. The left two pumps connect to the air seperator (see tee and ell); the right two pumps connect directly to the boiler return via a close ell-and-tee arrangement similar to the one above. The ruler at bottom right represents the left edge of the boiler. The entire arrangement is rather rigid, except that the 26-lb HX can move a tad left-right.

Am I in trouble here? If so, what fix would you recommend? I have no space left-to-right but can work out from the rock wall or down.

Are there approved flexible connections (hose?) which can be used to isolate vibration?

Weezbo

there are isolation flex couplings used for expansion buh...

you do not want to hang all that stuff off the HX it all should be supported..pipe it to something that is secured to some unistrut.

hr

As long as

you support the weight of the pumps and piping you will be fine. Don't hang off the HX connection without additional support.

Really no reason to have a vibration issue.

Unless you get a ball of solder lodged in the circ impeller

hot rod

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Bill Clark

Thanks, guyz.

I bolted a heavy frame to the rock wall to which supports can be welded/bolted.

Brad White_125

Yeah...

If that vibrates, Bill, we got bigger problems~!

Post a follow-up photo maybe?

Brad