Why NOT to use elCheapo Cast Fittings

[glc24]

Hello ray66v
Well,I guess if you're building stuff for NASA that's the case,but in my 20 some years of using thousands upon thousands of schedule 80 pipe fittings,we have never had a failure due to a flawed fitting. I was just stating what I myself know from my experience

 

[kennyd]

kennyd,

What is the pressure rating on that flexible pipe in your setup. It looks like a water heater connection hose.

200 LBS.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Allow me to throw my $.02 in here. Although I am certainly no defender of Chinese 'quality' I would never use cast iron fittings in an air system. I work for a plumbing & heating distribution company that sells all types of fittings. The 'old timers' who do boiler work like to use cast fittings. Why? Because you can smash them with a hammer if you have to do some piping changes. Malleable iron fittings could realistically never be smashed and they have no 'casting hole' issues that the OP discovered. Malleable fitttings are rated:
Standard Class 150 Specifications:

ANSI B1.20.1, Threads, B 16.3, Dimensions, Pressure Rating
ASTM A197, Material. A153, Galvanizing
Federal Spec: WWP 521
MSDS Malleable
NSF Listing

Pressure Ratings:150 psig - Saturated Steam
300 psig - At 150 Degrees W. O. G.

Where W.O.G. stands for water, oil or gas service

Cast fittings have significantly lower ratings:
Standard Class 125 Specifications:

ANSI B1.20.1, Threads, B 16.4, Dimensions, Pressure Rating
ASTM A126, Material. A153, Galvanizing
Federal Spec: WWP 521
MSDS Gray Cast
NSF Listing

Pressure Ratings:125 psig - Saturated Steam
175 psig - At 150 Degrees W. O. G.

Again, not defending Chinese quality, 'sand holes' from the casting process is not that all unusual an occurance in cast fittings - no matter where they are made.

 

[glc24]

Again, not defending Chinese quality, 'sand holes' from the casting process is not that all unusual an occurance in cast fittings - no matter where they are made.

I agree,but then again,years ago when we used schedule 40 fittings,of the hundreds of air manifolds not one had that type of flaw. Good QC prevents that,so again, the lack of quality control is a serious problem over there.IMO of course

Greg

 

[RickB]

Allow me to throw my $.02 in here. Although I am certainly no defender of Chinese 'quality' I would never use cast iron fittings in an air system. I work for a plumbing & heating distribution company that sells all types of fittings. The 'old timers' who do boiler work like to use cast fittings. Why? Because you can smash them with a hammer if you have to do some piping changes. Malleable iron fittings could realistically never be smashed and they have no 'casting hole' issues that the OP discovered. Malleable fitttings are rated:
Standard Class 150 Specifications:

ANSI B1.20.1, Threads, B 16.3, Dimensions, Pressure Rating
ASTM A197, Material. A153, Galvanizing
Federal Spec: WWP 521
MSDS Malleable
NSF Listing

Pressure Ratings:150 psig - Saturated Steam
300 psig - At 150 Degrees W. O. G.

Where W.O.G. stands for water, oil or gas service

Cast fittings have significantly lower ratings:
Standard Class 125 Specifications:

ANSI B1.20.1, Threads, B 16.4, Dimensions, Pressure Rating
ASTM A126, Material. A153, Galvanizing
Federal Spec: WWP 521
MSDS Gray Cast
NSF Listing

Pressure Ratings:125 psig - Saturated Steam
175 psig - At 150 Degrees W. O. G.

Again, not defending Chinese quality, 'sand holes' from the casting process is not that all unusual an occurance in cast fittings - no matter where they are made.

The malleable Chinese fittings simply leak from the threads due to tapping operation issues. BTDT on Chinese fittings on brand new New Holland model 72 bale throwers. Several times.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Believe me, I'm not defending Chinese quality. Here in Connecticut the company I work for is the largest independant distributor of P&H. We still sell only domestic black fittings: malleable & cast iron. However this is a free market and our competitors now sell imported materials at significantly lower prices.

Its one thing if the quality is the same but I'm sure everyone has their own horror stories about cheap hardware. One of the 1st things I did with my new tractor a few months ago was to trench for wiring for new flood lights in the woods. So there I am at the top of a seven foot step ladder, using an 8" ratchet to screw a 3/8X5 lag screw into a predrilled hole in the tree for the light mount. I'm 90% in when the friggin Home Cheapo screw head decides to snap off. %^&$ - its a 3/8 screw and I'm turning it in with an 8" ratchet. I can't blame anyone but myself. Home Depot was conveniently close and I got the quality I paid for (at an absurdly high price).

 

[RickB]

Believe me, I'm not defending Chinese quality. Here in Connecticut the company I work for is the largest independant distributor of P&H. We still sell only domestic black fittings: malleable & cast iron. However this is a free market and our competitors now sell imported materials at significantly lower prices.

.

We are certainly victims of our own greed and sloth. It will ultimately be the ruination of our country. Of this I am convinced.

 

[ray66v]

Hello ray66v
Well,I guess if you're building stuff for NASA that's the case,but in my 20 some years of using thousands upon thousands of schedule 80 pipe fittings,we have never had a failure due to a flawed fitting. I was just stating what I myself know from my experience

Are you referring to sch 80 welded fittings, or forged steel, threaded fittings?

 

[glc24]

Both,more threaded than welded though.
Our biggest problem was, and at times still is with the Norgren regulators. When they changed the assembly plant from here (US) to Mexico,its been one problem after another.

Greg

 

[ray66v]

Both,more threaded than welded though.
Our biggest problem was, and at times still is with the Norgren regulators. When they changed the assembly plant from here (US) to Mexico,its been one problem after another.

Greg

I can't justify the cost difference in the forged fittings; cutouts don't cost me anything but time. They way things are right now, I've got plenty of that.