Hydrostatic Test

[cyberbadger]

seems you like to argue, I don't.

Are you sure about that?

"However, Nitrogen is inert and in all likelihood it will be fine, but I just don't see the need to invent a new way to test a boiler..."
Seemed to imply that using a gas to pressure test a vessel would be "fine". A statement like that needs clarification when it could result in someone reading it that doesn't understand and getting badly injured or killed.

I did write that. I wrote it with the correct thing to do - a hydro. I knew it would not be a popular comment on safety reasons. I still think it is unlikely to result in injury or death, but I did not say it would be safe. I don't know anyone who regularly hydros heir compressed air tanks or compressors. Pressurizing a boiler with Nitrogen is similar. Not the smartest thing to do in the world, but not the dumbest either.

I would be more alarmist about lighting a boiler that had not been inspected or hydro-ed.

Would be nice to hear from Jimi about what he has done or not done. He has the same question on smokstak.... https://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166523

-CB

[DetroiTug]

A bit concerning that reading from the Smokstak forum link provided, it appears there are many responding that do not accurately understand the purpose of a hydrostatic test or the correct way to perform it. It is a strength test of the vessel - mostly the outer shell. Testing a 150 WSP boiler at 40-60 psi city water pressure is nothing more than a leak test. Or rthe guy that knows a guy that can look at a boiler and determine whether it is safe or not.

[Lopez Mike]

I have two neighbor girls, eight and nine years old who operate my launch safely. I have talked them through my monthly hydro twice now and THEY understand why you don't use any sort of compressed gas to hydro test. I and they use the hand feed water pump (any boiler that has a fire in it WILL have one. PERIOD!) to top off the boiler with water before sealing things up for a test.

I am upset over childish and dangerous stuff like this appearing again and again here. PLEASE read a basic book about boilers and steam plants before even THINKING about hydrotesting much less actually building a fire!

I am old and cranky enough to not care as much as I should about fools blowing themselves up. But one good bang and we will be under the thumb of regulators. This is not amusing and there is zero room for argument.

I'll retire under my rock now. Grump.

[cyberbadger]

It's also important not to scare folks away and keep them in the fold... Otherwise this all falls on deaf ears.

-CB

[Lopez Mike]

I'm comfortable with scaring them away from this hobby if it means not blowing themselves up along with me.

We had a guy show up at one of our annual meets here in the N.W. who wouldn't hydro his boiler because he, "didn't want to strain his boiler." He went away all miffed because our association rules require an annual club inspector supervised hydro test and safety inspection.

Filling a pressure vessel with compressed gasses or boiling steam when it has not been tested or certified is an act of public danger and law enforcement should be called forthwith. It is in no way separable from waving around a loaded gun or driving impaired.

In case everyone hasn't figured it out, I have zero sense of humor about this subject. I am politely persuasive until it is obvious that I'm dealing with a dolt. I'm not prepared to be reasonable about this. Killing people is not an option.

Now let's talk about something more pleasant.

[fredrosse]

Working for organizations that build power plants for over 40 years, and being an ASME Life Member, I feel that I should chime in here.

Under no circumstances should a pressure vessel be hydro statically tested with a compressible gas. There are many long histories of accidents when people have attempted to hydro test with air, the vessel fails, and all hell breaks loose. Sometimes just a ruptured vessel, bent pipes, destroyed machinery. Sometimes people are injured. Sometimes people are killed.

Yes, it is convenient to use air, no messy water to clean up, no need for a water pump, no need for a water source. In the corporation I work for, there is a directive that if anyone puts air pressure on a system before the system passes hydro test with water, they are off the job forever.

This rule is simple, and clear. After passing the required hydro with water, at 150% to 300% of the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP), then air may be used to find small leaks (soap testing), but never under any circumstances at a pressure exceeding the MAWP, and never without a proper safety/relief valve in place.

[fredrosse]

Some times there are safety related statements on this forum which may not be in line with proper established procedures for building and operating the machinery.

Several people on the forum can give the right answers where safe steam plant operation is the issue, and that is an important purpose of the forum here.

Do not risk leading a novice into potentially dangerous territory. If you think you know something, but are not sure, especially with respect to issues that involve safe operation of the steam plant, then lay your ego aside, and say nothing, or better yet, ask a question.

Many other discussions within this forum are not relating to safe steam plant issues and safe boating, and there one can express their opinion with no constraints. That is basically free expression to give our fellow steamboaters knowledge and opinions. Safety is quite another matter!

[TahoeSteam]

HEAR! HEAR!

[cyberbadger]

The history of Steam is written in blood.

I have never done that nor was I intending to do that to my own equipment. I was speculating about the relative safety compared to lighting a boiler. It is clear that for the sake of possible worst-case outcomes both lighting a boiler and pressurizing a boiler with compressible gas are equivalent - potentially lethal and should be regarded as such.

I have no ego to bruise regarding safety. I was wrong about pressurization and apologize for talking about a safety subject that I didn't have enough information about.

I apologize for badgering Ron.

I am however serious about not scaring people away. The ones off the radar is what that should be worried about. Lets just say that when I started steaming I had a very rough start from some quite grumpy traction engine folks on smokstak. Makes your posts against me look friendly. You push too hard they will go to the likes of Ross Bendixen who, now that I think of it did not hydro my first boiler even though I asked if it could be done. He didn't want to do it because it was ... survey says: too difficult. He sells them unhydro tested. He lures you into taking the bait because he shows a video of your boiler under steam.

I hope Jimi has been PMed or gotten a steam mentor some how. I have a relatively local traction engine steam mentor that I call whenever I feel uncertain about a steam question that I'm about to do or have done. I think something like that would be good for steamboaters too where practical.

Fred you suggested asking questions:
1) How often should a household aircompressor or airtank be hydroed?
2) How often are 40ft+ / commerical steamboat boilers required to hydro by the coast guard?
3) How often are vessels 40ft+/ commerical required to have air tanks hydro test by the coast guard?

-CB

[Mike Rometer]

The answer is in the name!!!

HYDRO means WATER!!!