Cracked Flange A Blessing and Stopped A Disaster From Happening.

 Our Location today is Windsor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This morning knowing our start time was not until 8:00 I took my time getting to the Plant by 7:20. I had barely opened my door when Ivan arrived wondering if I had slept there because he had hurried to get there before me. The laugh was on the both of us because Paul had unlocked the door at 6:50 thinking we would be starting early.

We all had a laugh and had a chance to talk before the start of our shift. After getting changed into my Coveralls we double checked the repairs we made yesterday. We even replaced the Guarding upstairs that the Electrical Contractor had failed to put back.

In an attempt to get more accomplished I set Ivan up using the Air Hose to clean out the Blower Fans that we had worked on recently. Even though we had flushed the Flues the Burners were still not working at peak efficiency.

I started removing the Bolts on the Pipe Spool that had a leaky Flange. The timing worked perfectly because Ivan was finished just when I needed his help to remove the Spool. Back at the Compound as I worked I was explaining why I was doing things so he’d be more knowledgeable if another such job came up. We lucked out (or did we) finding a Two Inch Plastic Flange with a Six Inch piece of Piping already attached.

Paul needed Ivan’s assistance but by the time they returned I was making the final adjustments on the new Spool. Everyone was happy that it was progressing so quickly and we were soon installing it talking about the next job I wanted to accomplish today. Since these Flanges are made of Schedule 80 Plastic I gently snugged each Bolt until progressively they were all leak proof tight which means I hold the Wrench in the middle so as to not over tighten it. As Paul stood watching there was a loud Snap and I watched a large Crack appear. Paul reminded me that the Flanges on that Pump were always cracking and he had faith I would fix it.

Ivan and I searched the Compound and the Compressor Room with no Luck. He was amazed at all the Fittings I had gathered from the Warehouse with still no Luck. I started looking at Pumps in hopes of finding a usable Plastic Flange but no Luck. What I did find was a Metal Flange threaded for a Two Inch Pipe. Ivan could not believe that I brought it back to the Compound. I found a slightly damaged Plastic Adapter. By shaving back the damaged threads I was able to screw it into the Metal Flange then glue the Two Inch Plastic Pipe of the Spool into it.

Paul asked where I had gotten the Plastic Flange from and when I told him he said it was probably already slightly cracked and that was why it had been removed. He then said “See I told you that you would fix it properly”.

I sent Ivan to remove a Fan Cover on the Number Two Pump Motor so we could clean it out while I was installing the now complete Spool. He then came to tell me he couldn’t get the Fan Cover off the Motor so after putting my other Tools away I went to try. Putting a Chisel on edge and gently tapping it with a Hammer I opened a Disaster waiting to happen. There was a Greasy Mound Of Dirt filling the Cover and along the top edge of the Motor wherever the Fan Impeller did not touch. It took Thirty Minutes of scraping and wire brushing to clean the Two Heaping Dust Pans of Debris out. We are certain that Motor will definitely run cooler now.

After the stress of the broken Flange we packed it in early and punched out at 3:00 but would spend another Ten Minutes cleaning Two Inches of Wet Snow off our vehicles.

Kathy had just gotten off the phone with our friend Vera. When she last spoke to her Vera had been feeling ill but felt much better today.

For supper Kathy served Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls on a bed of Vegetable Rice along with the Leftover Pineapple as well as Fruitcake for dessert.

Since the Coveralls I have worn this last week were mostly Dirty and not Greasy after the 6 o’clock Local News I brought them directly to the Laundry Room. As planned I washed them Twice to get all the Dirt out.

The Weather Network showed we had a high temperature today of 28 F (-2 C) feeling like 23 F (-5 C). Tomorrow all our accumulation will melt away.

Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment unless it personally attacks someone for their opinion or is Spam.

Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You give your girlfriend long-thorned roses hoping she won't ask for them again.