Took me 3 hours to figure out a simple valve leak on a 6 inch steam line yesterday

Was chasing this drip for what felt like forever, turned out the packing gland just needed another quarter turn. You'd think after 15 years in this trade I'd check the obvious stuff first. Has anyone else spent way too long on something that should have been a five minute fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

hart.sage10d ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? A leak on a steam line isn't exactly a house burning down.

clark.alex9d ago

Oh man, I had a buddy learn this the hard way. His steam line had a tiny hiss in the basement for like a month. He kept saying "it's fine, it's just a little steam." Next thing you know, the pipe let go and shot a jet of scalding water right into his drywall. Took out a whole section of wall, ruined his furnace filter, and he was cleaning up mud for a week. Definitely not a house fire, but it was a good thousand bucks and a lot of swearing he didn't plan on.

anthony_campbell8810d agoTop Commenter

hart.sage you say it's no big deal but a steam leak can turn into a REAL problem real fast. I've seen those things go from a little hiss to a full blown geyser in about two seconds flat. Next thing you know you're wading through hot water and calling the emergency plumber at 2am. Sure it's not a house fire but it's still a headache you don't need, especially if it's in a place you can't easily shut off. I'd rather fix a little drip now than deal with a ruined floor or a burst pipe later.