Had a flange weld crack on a 500 psi boiler in Toledo last winter

I was doing a final pressure test on a new install when I heard a sharp hiss and saw steam coming from the main steam outlet. We had to shut down, drain the whole system, and re-weld the joint in freezing temps. What's your go-to method for checking for hidden cracks before a pressure test?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_fisher412mo ago

Man, that sounds brutal, especially in a Toledo winter. Been there with a leak on a cold day and it's the worst. Do you guys do a dye penetrant check on those flange welds before you button it all up? I've found that catches a lot the eye misses, especially in tricky spots.

webb.linda2mo ago

You actually do dye penetrant checks on every single weld?

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brianm2712d ago

I read in a NDE handbook that dye penetrant catches about 80% of surface cracks but misses deeper ones that haven't opened yet. A guy from the boiler inspection office told me he always runs a wet magnetic particle test on any flange weld over 300 psi before the final hydro. Saved me a lot of headaches ever since I started doing that on cold weather jobs.