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Pipe Flanges: Applications, Types and Flange Ratings

March 11, 2015 Leave a comment

Pipe flanges are disc-shaped fittings that are commonly used to build piping systems. Flanges can add support to a pipeline, close or block an existing pipeline, or they can be used for creating joints and attaching additional pieces to the system. When connecting to a system, flanges can be bolted or welded together, and there are 6 basic types of flanges that are used for different piping systems.

In plumbing, for instance, flanges are often used to build and connect plumbing pipelines, and they’re also used to connect fixtures to the water supply. Toilets all commonly use a special type of flange called a toilet flange, and there are also flanges designed for showers and sinks.

Aside from plumbing, flanges are commonly used in industrial settings where pipelines are necessary. For instance, flanges are a common piece of hardware in the oil and gas industry, as well as in chemical production plants.

6 Basic Types of Flanges

Although there are many different types of flanges that are used for a variety of pipeline projects, there are six that are the most common.

Slip-On Flange: A slip-on flange is slightly larger in diameter than the pipe, enabling the flange to “slip on” to the pipe. This creates a tight fit with the pipe. Compared to other flanges, the slip-on is slightly thinner and has a shorter lifespan than other flanges, but they are dependable and cost effective.
Slip-On Flange
Threaded Flange: Threaded flanges are similar to slip-on flanges. They slide over a pipe, but no welding is required. This is the biggest advantage of threaded flanges. They’re often used for smaller pipes and in areas where welding would be dangerous. Because there is no welding, the threaded flange is typically used in low pressure systems.
Threaded Flange
Socket-Weld Pipe Flange: The socket-weld flange is used in smaller-sized, high-pressure pipe systems. These flanges are inserted into the pipe and attached with a fillet weld, which enables a better gas flow through the pipe.
Socket-Weld Pipe Flange
Lap Joint Flange: Lap joint flanges are similar to slip-on flanges, but they do not have a raised face. In terms of pressure holding, these are more commonly used with low pressure systems.
Lap Joint Flange
Welding Neck Flange: These types of flanges are used in high-pressure systems, and they’re used to take stress off the pipe system. The welding neck flange has a neck that is welded to the pipe base, and due to this they provide more strength to the fitting. This type of flange is considered a “low turbulence” flange, because it increases flow.
Welding Neck Flange
Blind Flange: The blind flange is used to seal off a pipe system. Usually, they are also incorporated into a system to provide fast access to the interior of the system or to stop the flow.
Blind Flange

Determining Flange Ratings

All flanges are rated according to their pressure rating and based on standards set by the ASME. Current ASME standards B16.5, used for normal pipe sizes between ½” and 24”, and B16.47, normal sizes above 24” call for flanges to be made out of forged metals.

Flanges are also rated by pressure class, set by the ANSI. For B16.5 flanges, there are 7 pressure classes, 150, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1500 and 2500, which are based on the material the flange is made of and other dimensional factors. This measure doesn’t refer to the psi that the flange is designed to handle; for instance, the maximum pressure in psi for the Class 150 flange is 290 at temperatures below 100 degrees.

The type of flange that you choose depends, of course, on the type of work that you are doing. Flanges used in the oil and gas industry are required to be stronger and handle greater levels of pressure. Plus, the type of flange, including the weld or bolting can contribute to ASMI rating.

Find the best prices on industrial and plumbing pipe flanges at Deelat.com. We offer a variety of affordable flanges, including slip-on, welding neck, socket weld and blind flanges. We guarantee some of the lowest prices for ASMI- and ASME-rated flanges on the web.

De-Icing Heating Cables: How to Prevent Roof Ice Dams

March 6, 2015 Leave a comment

The winter months can be troublesome for the roof, pipes and valves of your home or commercial property. On the roof of your home, for instance, snow and ice collect around the eaves, creating ice dams, which prevent water from properly draining. This buildup of ice can damage your roof, gutters and siding, and the improperly draining water causes interior mildew and condensation.

De-Icing Cables for Eaves Trough — De- Icing Cables For Eaves Trough

Luckily, there’s an easy-to-install fix: de-icing heating cables. De-icing heating cables deliver heat to the eaves of your home or commercial property, or around pipes and valves, which prevents the buildup of ice and snow. They are commonly used to prevent ice dams and pipes from freezing.

With spring right around the corner, it’s the perfect time for homeowners in snowy climates to consider installing heating cables or heating tape. Here we explain how de-icing cables work and provide a few tips that can help you decide the type of cables you need:

How De-Icing Heating Cables Work

De-icing heating cables are an electronic heating device that can quickly be installed on the roof of your home or commercial property, or around pipes and valves. They look like long extension cords, but when plugged in, they provide a steady amount of heat to a location to prevent ice from collecting in a particular area.

On roofs, heating cables are placed near the eaves, where ice is most likely to collect during the winter months. They are affixed in a zigzag position near the eave to improve water drainage and to provide an even amount of heat along the roof’s edge. De-icing heating cables are affixed to the roof quickly, using shingle clips.

Similarly, de-icing cables can be used to supply heat to pipes and valves to prevent freezing during winter months. With these applications, the heating cables can be attached using adhesive or pipe clips, and they can be attached to the exterior of the pipe. In some cases, the heating cables are designed to run inside the pipe.

De-Icing Heating Cables: A Few Things to Consider Before Installation

Whether you’re planning to install heating cables on the roof of your home or commercial property, or around pipes, valves or stop taps, you need to make sure you’re purchasing the materials that fit the task.

Length: Making sure you have enough cable to cover the roof of your property can save you time in the long run. Often, this is calculated by the length of the roofline, with an added spacing multiplier. Additionally, if you have gutters or long valleys in the roof, you’ll need additional cable.
Color: Many de-icing cables are sold in various colors. If you want something that naturally blends with the color of your roof, a black or dark grey cable may work best. Although color is not always important, as de-icing cables can be discreetly affixed to your roof.
Type of Material: De-icing cables are made with a variety of materials, and some are designed to last longer. For instance, the basic PVC heating cables provide durability and can last for several seasons. The more-rigid Teflon heating cables are designed to provide even more durability.

Deelat.com provides a variety of de-icing heating cables for commercial and home installation. You can choose from our broad selection of heating cables, based on length and material.

Respirators and Dust Masks: How to Buy the Right One

March 4, 2015 Leave a comment

Dust masks and respirators are a necessity on construction job sites and for home improvement projects. Whether you may be exposed to chemicals, harmful toxins, paint fumes, solvents, or even allergens, dust masks and respirators ensure your safety and protect your lungs.

Yet, there are different types of masks for every job, and it can be difficult to know which mask suits your needs. For instance, a basic disposable dust mask may be suitable for around-the-house chores during allergy season, like mowing or gardening. But to prevent exposure to toxic fumes, you need a more heavy-duty particulate filter, like a cartridge respirator.

3 Common Types of Respirators

Dust Masks: This might be the most recognizable air-purifying filtration device. They are traditional worm by landscapers, or their close cousin the surgical mask, by hospital workers. They provide protection against non-toxic nuisances, like pollen or airborne illnesses, but they don’t provide protection against gases, vapors, or dangerous dusts.
Dust Mask
Disposable Respirator: These look similar to dust masks, but more tightly fit the face and use better filters to protect against fumes, dusts and mists. Respirators are often rated by the NOISH, according to types of particles they filter and the degree at which they protect. For instance, most basic disposable respirators are rated N95 – which means the mask is “Not Oil Proof” and it removes 95 percent of the particles from the air.
Disposable Respirator
Cartridge Respirator: The cartridge respirator is a non-disposable mask that is fitted with interchangeable filter cartridges to protect against different types of chemicals, vapors, dusts and gases. There are different types of cartridges that can be inserted into the masks, and some require two cartridges, one for chemicals and one for particles. Often, cartridge respirators provide a greater degree of protection compared to N95 disposable masks. In fact, many are rated P100, which means they are “Oil Proof” and that they filter 100 percent of the particles in the air.
Cartridge Respirator

What Respirator Is Right for You?

The respirator you choose depends on the type of work that you are doing. Dust masks only offer basic protection, for instance, while disposable respirators that are rated N95 can be used to protect against non-toxic dusts, metal particles and airborne illnesses. Some disposable respirators are rated with the letter R, which means they are oil-resistant. Masks with an R95 rating and above are often used for painting.

The chemical cartridge and dual cartridge masks provide the greatest degree of protection. These types of masks are often rated P100, and can be used to protect against gases and vapors. Additionally, a mask can be fitted with specialized chemical cartridges that protect against different types of chemicals; for instance a special filter can be used if there’s a risk for ammonia exposure.

Finally, you will also need to consider the adjustability of the mask, as well as the style of the mask. There are half-mask respirators, which cover part of the face, and full-face respirators. Half-mask respirators suffice in most cases, although a full-face respirator is needed if the toxins may irate the face and skin.

Quick Respirator Safety Tips

When you purchase a respirator, be sure to follow the directions of use. This will prevent misuse, as well as ensure that the respirator is properly fitted.

When to replace: If you notice a change in smell or taste, the filter in your respirator needs to be replaced. If it’s a disposable mask, this indicates the need to change the mask and throw the old one away.
Keep the filter dry: The effectiveness of a filter is diminished if it becomes damp. To prevent this, you should keep respirators sealed until they’re in use, and keep them in dry environments.
Dispose after each use: The majority of disposable and some cartridge respirators are designed to be used only once. A different respirator should be used during each job, and broken respirators should be disposed of.

Deelat.com is your source for low-cost respirators and Dust Masks. We offer the best prices and best selection of dust masks, disposable respirators and cartridge respirators.

HVAC Inspection Equipment: Humidity Gauges, Infrared Thermometers and Wind Meters

February 24, 2015 Leave a comment

There are many reasons to have your HVAC system inspected regularly. A properly functioning system can save on heating and cooling costs, to prevent the growth of mold and for safety. Unfortunately, for property managers, HVAC system problems aren’t often visible and require specialized precision measurement tools to determine.

A humidity sensor, for example, determines a building’s relative humidity, which can lead to more efficient identification of equipment malfunctions. And infrared thermometers make heating and cooling problems, like a poor seal or improperly fitted furnace, easier to detect. Building and home inspectors, facilities managers, HVAC inspectors and electricians all use these specialized devices, because they provide quick, accurate measurements.

Infrared Thermometers for HVAC Inspection

The best infrared thermometers are often called temperature guns, because you just point them at a source to find the temperature. That makes these measurement tools extremely versatile. Using infrared thermometers, building inspectors and facilities managers can gauge temperatures in hard-to-reach places, like behind a piece of hardware.

Infrared thermometers are also referred to as laser thermometers, because they often use laser technology to measure the infrared energy emitted by a source. From that, they can determine the temperature. Generally, IR thermometers are used to gauge the temperature of a home or building’s heating system, like a hot water heater or furnace, as well as electrical and plumbing equipment.

Another common application: Infrared thermometers can be used to improve a building or home’s energy efficiency. Cold air leaks around HVAC systems and other areas where heat can be lost are easier to determine with infrared thermometers.

Humidity Gauges for HVAC Inspection

Humidity sensors are another important tool for property inspectors. Essentially, these gauges measure the relative humidity of an environment, and they have a wide application, they’re used in meterology for instance.

In building inspection, humidity gauges can help detect a few issues. First, they can determine airflow issues in an HVAC system; low relative humidity, for instance, might mean that an HVAC system isn’t delivering enough air to a particular area. In addition, humidity sensors can determine when relative humidity is higher than normal. When it is, the risk of mold growth is greater, because mold thrives in moist environments. This can cause a variety of problems, from wood rot and corrosion to impaired worker health.

Airflow and Wind Meters for HVAC Inspection

Finally, wind meters are used to determine the airflow from a heating or cooling vent. When placed in front of a heating vent, for example, one of these handheld devices measures wind speed, and using this data, HVAC inspectors can determine the consistency of hot or cold air. Thus, if an air conditioner isn’t providing enough air, or the flow isn’t consistent, that problem is very easy to determine.

Find the best deals and lowest prices on your HVAC inspection equipment at Deelat.com. We carry a range of precision measurement tools, including IR thermometers, wind meters, humidity detectors and more.

How Do Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges Work?

February 20, 2015 Leave a comment

What Is An Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge?

Ultrasonic thickness gauges are digital devices used to measure the thickness of a material by construction professionals. Thickness gauges provide quick, accurate measurement within fractions of a millimeter, and they can be used on virtually any type of common construction material.

How Digital Thickness Gauges Work

Ultrasonic thickness gauges measure thickness by sending sound waves through a target material. Essentially, the device emits a high-frequency sound wave – which is much higher than the waves humans hear – and the gauge measures how long the wave takes to pass through a material and bounce back.

If you were measuring a steel pipe, for example, the thickness gauge would send a wave that travels through the material, and then calculates the thickness based on the time it takes to receive the echo from the back wall of the pipe. Due to this technology, ultrasonic thickness gauges are extremely precise; some models can record accurate measurements within fractions of a millimeter.

Types of Materials You Can Measure with a Thickness Gauge

Commercial thickness gauges can be used to measure all types of materials, including common construction materials like plastic, metals, fiberglass and glass. Fortunately, you don’t need a specialized meter for the type of material you’re measuring. There are all-in-one gauges, like the BENETECH GM100, that are programmed to measure a range of materials.

One common application of ultrasonic gauges is for measuring the thickness of metals. For instance, construction professionals often consult metal thickness charts, which provide given thicknesses for different types of metal. Gauge 14 sheet metal or aluminum, for example, has a specific thickness.

Why is material thickness important? For one, different ultrasonic gauges are optimized for different types of materials. For instance, thin materials, like Gauge 16 sheet metal, require ultrasonic gauges that produce higher frequencies, while thicker materials require ultrasonic gauges that can produce lower frequencies.

Advantages of Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges

Ultrasonic thickness gauges provide several advantages over other precision measurement tools like calipers and micrometers.

1. Ultrasonic gauges provide non-destructive measurement; they only require access to one side of a material to provide an accurate measurement. That means they can fit into more places, and don’t require cutting out material to gain access.

2. Ultrasonic gauges are extremely precise. Depending on the type of gauge you’re using, you can determine the thickness of a material to within fractions of a millimeter up to several hundred millimeters. Clearly, they’re extremely versatile and the latest gauges are all very accurate.

3. Finally, ultrasonic gauges are easier than ever to use. For instance, the BENETECH GM130 provides auto calibration. These devices can be easily programmed to measure different types of materials, so that switch between measurement quickly. And they’re easy to use; operators point and shoot, and a measurement is provided within seconds.

Find test & measurement equipment on Deelat.com at unbeatable prices. We’re your source for name brand calipers, micrometers, HVAC meters and much more.