Leak Sealing

Any escape of gas or liquid from a plant machinery while it is operating results in production downtime that translates to added costs aside from potentially hazardous substances leaking into the working area. When this happens as it sometimes does, leak sealing is the only viable alternative if the machinery is to continue working even temporarily without sacrificing productivity and the meeting of deadlines.

The In-Situ group has a team of design engineers supporting highly skilled and talented technicians to meet the particular requirements of leak sealing. Due to our long years of experience in leak sealing, we have written procedures on leak sealing that are proven and we use sealants for our leak sealing process that are similar to manufacturers’ leak sealing standards that are proven not to affect the integrity of the valves.

While most leak sealing repair methods will not be able to withstand high pressures and temperatures and so may require a shutdown in a system, In-Situ leak sealing method has the technological capability to perform leak sealing services ranging from sub-freezing temperatures to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit at 7500 psi on line.

The leak sealing process is environment friendly reducing pollutant emissions and safety issues. In leak sealing, the sealant that is injected into a joint or a leak area is non toxic that reduces health concerns. We recognize the fact that leaks does not only have to be treated immediately but effectively as it could be very expensive.

The following is a list of leak types commonly needing leak sealing solutions that could be sealed on line:

Flange Leak Sealing

Almost all flanges, being made to standard sizes can be treated by using a clamp which could be installed under pressure. The method only varies depending on the size of the gaps and the pressures and temperatures involved. The procedure however remains basically the inserting of a two piece clamp and sealing the gaps.

Depending also on the leak size and provided that pressures involved are not high, a wire wrap could be done as a temporary stop gap to the leak.

Valve Gland Packing

Leaking valve gland packing is the most common of leaks and it could be repacked without isolating the valve packing. It could be done economically and could be repaired online. Most common leak sealing repairs are done for most processes including air, chemical, water, condensates, vacuum, steam (superheated and saturated) and hydrocarbons.

Leak Sealing for Line Kills and Valve Bypass

These are the usual solutions applied to immediately stop leaking valve seats. As this kind of leak is usually caused by a valve seat that does not seat properly, the seat of the valve is injected with the leak sealing agent. Line bypass is simply isolating that part of the system if that is required.

Elbow and Tee Joints Leak Sealing

Elbow joints whether it is in the 45 degree or a 90 degree angle, short radius or long radius could unexpectedly require leak sealing when subjected for a protracted period from the points where it had been joined due to failing welded parts and couplings.

Weld Seam Leaks and Casting Pinhole Leak Sealing

Weld seam casting pinhole leaks are common types of leaks that starts rather very small but could rapidly need leak sealing before the problem grow worse. Typical remedy is to use a streamlined enclosure for leak sealing. The enclosures are pre manufactured according to typical pipe sizes. The enclosures could easily be inserted into the leaking portion and injected with leak sealing agent. By simply changing the inserts, the enclosures also be used in T shapes for Tee Joints, 90 degrees and the single bore application.

Leak Sealing for Exchanger Leakage

Sometimes it could happen that heat exchangers develop leaks even during installation. One of the more common causes of early leakage is when bolts are prematurely tightened when a gasket is not yet positioned properly. The composition gaskets also have the tendency to become brittle and dry. If for any reason the heat exchanger is to be dismantled it will be wise to check all gaskets thoroughly for leak sealing. Another cause for leak is that gaskets in the heat exchanger are usually made of metal or at least jacketed in metal. During early contact as the heat exchanger is sealed, the gasket and the metal are compressed where the initial sizes are matched. With use though, the gaskets hardens and creates imperfect matches resulting in breaks that require leak sealing. For whatever reason, It is always our practice to use a new gasket so that effective leak sealing is on when the heat exchanger is reused.

At the end of a leak sealing process, we could also provide forms for preventive maintenance that are available on request.