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Working on a 500 psi boiler, the old flange gasket material was a total fail
We had a job on a big steam boiler at the mill in Cedar Rapids. The spec called for a standard graphite gasket, but the lead hand insisted we try this new PTFE spiral wound type he'd heard about. The graphite one blew after maybe 80 hours of full pressure, but the PTFE seal has held for over six months now with zero leaks. The cost was about double, but not having to shut the whole system down for a re-seal made it worth it. Has anyone else switched gasket types on high-pressure jobs and seen a big difference?
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blakefox1mo ago
Yeah, that's a solid win right there. Paying more upfront to avoid a total shutdown later is almost always the right call. Good on your lead hand for pushing for the better material.
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moore.viola1mo ago
Totally agree with paying more upfront to avoid a shutdown! We learned that the hard way on a big job last year. The cheap fittings we bought first failed after three days of hard use. Had to redo the whole line with the good stuff and eat the cost of lost time. Now we just buy the better grade from the start, no question.
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