My gooseneck boiler tube cracked during a hydro test last week

I was running a hydro test on a 15,000 gallon tank last Thursday. Everything looked good until I saw a little stream of water coming from the bottom. Turned out a gooseneck tube had a hairline crack right where it bends. I always thought those tubes were bulletproof. My foreman came over and showed me how the tube had been stressed from a bad weld job six months ago. Had to drain the whole tank and cut out the bad section. Took me and two guys almost a full day to replace it and re-test. Has anyone else had issues with gooseneck tubes failing at the bend?

3 comments

3 Comments

harperg761mo ago

Man I used to think gooseneck tubes were pretty much indestructible too, figured as long as the weld was halfway decent they'd last forever. Then we had a 10 inch gooseneck let go on a brine tank during a hydro two years ago, same hairline crack at the bend. Had to cut out a three foot section and the stiffener plate we added later cost more than I wanted to admit. Really changed my mind about those bends being the weak link, especially if there's any vibration or bad welding in the past.

kellyjones1mo ago

lol "hairline crack at the bend" is basically a horror story now. @the_thea your ammonia tank story gave me flashbacks, we had a 10 inch gooseneck go on a brine tank during a hydro test and it was the exact same thing. Not even a month of vibe issues just a tiny crack that turned into a full blowout. Cost us a full day plus that stupid stiffener plate.

the_thea1mo ago

Had a 12 inch gooseneck crack on a 20,000 gallon ammonia tank back in March. Same spot right at the bend. Foreman said it was from a vibration issue nobody caught during installation six years ago. Drained the whole thing, cut out a four foot section, rewelded it with a stiffener plate. Took me and a helper 14 hours straight. Those bends are definitely the weak point.