sage52•1d ago

Had to choose between a full weld repair or a patch on a 3/4 inch feedwater line

The line had a pinhole leak at a 90 degree elbow. I could cut out the whole section and weld in a new piece, which would take most of a day, or try a half-circle patch. Went with the patch, prepped it for over an hour to get a perfect fit, and burned it in. Pressure test held at 150 psi with zero weep. Anyone ever have a patch hold up long term on a high-pressure feed line?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixh741d ago

Man, that's a tough call. I've been there with the patch vs. replace debate. Sounds like you did the work right though, getting that perfect fit is everything.

price.jake1d ago

Appreciate the kind words, @phoenixh74, but a perfect fit isn't actually everything in this case. The real debate is about long-term strength versus a quick fix. Sometimes a patch just kicks the problem down the road.