That moment a 4-inch steam line blew on a Thursday afternoon in Gary

I was working on a boiler retube at a mill outside Gary, Indiana, about 2 years ago. We were pressure testing a section of 4-inch steam line when a fitting let go right at the weld neck. Water and steam shot out like a fire hose, soaking half the crew before we got the valve shut. My foreman just stood there shaking his head, then pointed at me and said "you get the grinder, I'll grab the welder." We had to cut out a 3 foot section and re-weld it on the spot, which pushed us into overtime by 4 hours. The worst part was the mill supervisor standing over our shoulders the whole time complaining about downtime. Anyone else had a blowout during a hydro test that turned into a full afternoon of rework?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_campbell4625d ago

Wait, wasn't that Toledo story about a 6-inch line though? I could've sworn the original post said 4-inch. Not trying to be that guy, just thought I had it right in my head.

barbarah1925d ago

Had a 6-inch steam line let go near Toledo back in '19... same kind of deal, fitting cracked right at the weld neck during a hydro test. Soaked three guys and flooded the whole damn pit area... took us a full shift to cut, prep, and reweld it. Your mill supervisor sounds like a nightmare standing there chirping about downtime like we planned it.

matthewmartin25d ago

I used to think supervisors were just doing their jobs when they pushed for speed, but hearing about your Toledo mess changed my mind. That kind of pressure makes zero sense when you're dealing with high-stakes repairs that are already a nightmare. Nobody chooses to flood a pit and soak three guys just for fun.