Copper L pipe going bad after 20 years?

[newbury]

<snip>
The thing is I could have had the compressor and coil replaced and new refrigerant etc... done as a repair and pushed it through... but not in good conscience...

Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.
About 30 or so years ago I had to write a review and a users manual on a new "image interpretation system" that the lab had bought. It had taken about 6 months to buy (spec it out, advertise, get bids, etc. etc. etc.) This was a relatively low budget ($150K?) system with it's core an Apple IIe floppy drive based system and (what was for then) a high end digitizer camera. Most of the value was in the software. The company came out with a new version based on the IBM PC (WITH A HARD DRIVE!!). They offered to swap out the computer and software for free.

The dang lawyer for the research complex got wind of it and came down HARD. NO CAN DO!! Have to go back out on bid (which would have taken another 6 months). So I asked if I could get it fixed. She said yes, but she didn't know it was broke. I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling her "Well it's broke now". New machine was in house shortly.

Sometimes when bureaucracy puts up road blocks it's better to go around.

 

[ultrarunner]

Almost 2 years in an I am still learning the ways of corporate... and that my Hospital Administrator has many levels offsite above...

For 25 years the onsite CEO had the final word and that office was on the same floor as mine... you might not agree... but if you said the Boss said such and such... that was the end of it.

More than a few times... over the decades it got a little heated with Docs or the Board... the reply was always the same... anytime the Board wanted to make a change take a vote... the vote never happened... over 100,000 surgeries.

I'm thinking this type of management outside of a family business really no longer exists today, especially when division chairman, VP, CFO, etc. seem to come and go...

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Curt, your last two posts tell me the whole story. I can read between the lines.

Your company reminds me of my church. I just finished a our f serving on the council. What an eye opener. First discussion on finances I detected there was no reserve fund for repairs, capitol equipment replacement, or capitol expenses. They are now faced with a leaking roof, $65K to replace, no money and no capacity to borrow as they just re-financed the mortgage due to a 5 year payout requirement in the old one. Had to use the National Synods Mission support finance branch as no commercial source would even talk to them. Could very well bankrupt them. I am looking for a new church.

It appears you are in a tough spot. Maybe you can use maintenance $ or label the water treatment as emergency. I really believe your situation is rooted in that part of the plant. Too bad I am not in the Bay Area. I would come over and see where I could assist you for something to do. Do you have a copy of the Construction Bluebook? Water treatment engineers advertise in that reference book, Good one to have.

LOL, Ron

 

[kenmac]

Unfortunately breakdown maintenance on boiler equipment/steam systems can result in personnel injuries up to fatal. Lack of maintenance/repairs could be the basis for a management chain felony charges as well as a huge liability claim. Forgetting about facility causalities; how many $s are human lives worth? Facility managers and their supervision chain need to see and read some of the boiler causality case histories we used to see through our continuing education requirements. What a GAMBLE!! Even a simple water heater with a faulty relief valve can destroy structure as well as humans in its path. I have seen pictures of them going through two stories and out the roof. The OP is dealing with a 65# steam system. Danger Flags are up and waving.

Ron

Yep, I saw where a wh exploded because some landlord thought he would plug the leak at the relief.
Boiler would be on a much larger scale.
Sad part is, these large corporations only see numbers. When something happens, they let the insurance companies clean up the mess.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Yep, I saw where a wh exploded because some landlord thought he would plug the leak at the relief.
Boiler would be on a much larger scale.
Sad part is, these large corporations only see numbers. When something happens, they let the insurance companies clean up the mess.

Yep, insurance companies and claims lawyers clean up the mess by personnel liability suing the whole management claim from the boiler tenders up to the CEO; when there is some evidence of negligence, which is usually part of the case. They win those suits where the criminal court system gets stalled by the weight of the system even if criminal negligence is involved. Business owners have been prosecuted and sent to prison over stuff like this. Insurance company lawyers always try to lay blame elsewhere to reduce their liability.

 

[TractorGuy]

Fought with copper leaks for years on Steris research sterilizers. Part of our problem was a high calcium content and water pressure at 100 PSI. Campus steam was pretty dirty stuff too. Got the problem reduced some by regulating the water pressure down and programming the sterilizers to go to sleep after 30 minutes of non use. Before that the cooling water ran non stop, 24/7.

Bought some newer Tuttnauers and they all came with stainless pipe. Most to them were ordered with their own boiler which came with a whole new challenge. The building soft water system was constantly having trouble keeping up with all the boilers.

The last new sterilizer I bought was a Tuttnauer with good old fashion submarine type door and ran it on house steam. It was a couple of years old when I retired and never had a fault or service failure.

My house was built in 93 and I had my first leak this year. Fortunately it was a pin hole above the slab. I heard it spraying and by some stroke of luck it was inside the plastic protection sleeve and not wetting the sheetrock. Still had to cut a hole in the wall to get at it but better than busting out the slab. They say they are replumbing through the attic with PEX instead of trying to fix under slab leaks now.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm afraid I will be chasing Steam Leaks in the Copper until I retire... some would say that spells job security.

December 95 is when the wing was commissioned... all of the problems have happened this year as far as pinhole leaks...

Had a few bad elbows but those were stress cracks.

Have Steris also... boy are they finicky about water filtration!