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Had a flange gasket blow on a 500 psi steam line in a Detroit plant yesterday, and my quick fix with a high-temp silicone wrap and three hose clamps held long enough for a proper shutdown.
What's your go-to emergency seal method for a high-pressure leak when you can't isolate the system right away?
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matthewperry6mo ago
Linda mentioned that metallic putty sets up hard on wet surfaces, but I've had it fail under real steam pressure more than once. It might seal a drip, but not a blowout. For a flange gasket failure like the original post, I'd skip the putty and go straight for a full-circle clamp. A proper split-seal clamp with a gasket material made for steam is the only thing I trust for a temporary fix. That silicone wrap is a good first layer, but you need real metal clamping force all the way around to contain 500 psi.
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joelsanchez4mo ago
Full circle clamp is the way to go for steam, no question about it. I've seen putty blow out in under a minute on a 400 psi line and it makes a mess you don't want to clean up. Have you ever tried the adjustable style with the rubber inserts that let you torque down evenly?
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linda_butler286mo ago
Saw a video where a guy used a split pipe clamp with a rubber seal for a steam leak. He tightened it right over the split flange. That high-temp silicone wrap you used is smart for a quick bandage. I keep a tube of that metallic repair putty in my bag for small leaks on pipes, it sets up hard even on wet surfaces. For anything bigger, it's all about getting something around the whole pipe to contain it until you can kill the pressure. Your fix with the hose clamps is basically the field version of a proper clamp seal.
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