best method to clean long pipes
best method to clean long pipes
(OP)
Hello, all,
We have a product line that uses 1 - 3in dia. pipe of lengths up to 20ft. The pipes need to be cleaned of the machine oil & shavings after we have added branch connections. Pipes this long will not fit into our parts washer and we are looking at options. I am hoping that I can come up with a better idea than a trough filled with cleaning fluid and a long swab.
It is a possibility that a large apparatus will have to be kept outside.
Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks
We have a product line that uses 1 - 3in dia. pipe of lengths up to 20ft. The pipes need to be cleaned of the machine oil & shavings after we have added branch connections. Pipes this long will not fit into our parts washer and we are looking at options. I am hoping that I can come up with a better idea than a trough filled with cleaning fluid and a long swab.
It is a possibility that a large apparatus will have to be kept outside.
Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks





RE: best method to clean long pipes
What I'm thinking is that you could stick a foam pig in the line, pour in a quart or so of cleaning fluid of some sort (maybe soapy water, maybe not), put a brush pig behind it, close it up and push the train through with 10 psig air (in three inch pipe that would give you over 70 lbf to push the pigs which should be about right. The pigs will come out pretty violently and spray crap everywhere so you probably want something like a small galvanized horse trough to put the open end of the pipe in.
David
RE: best method to clean long pipes
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"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: best method to clean long pipes
RE: best method to clean long pipes
Mark Hutton
RE: best method to clean long pipes
Pole swab the branches into the header, then the header, iterate until clean.
**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: best method to clean long pipes
David
RE: best method to clean long pipes
**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: best method to clean long pipes
RE: best method to clean long pipes
**********************
"Pumping accounts for 20% of the world's energy used by electric motors and 25-50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities."-DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99% for pipeline companies) http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/
RE: best method to clean long pipes
RE: best method to clean long pipes
Both? You'd risk pushing dirt/oil/shaving up the branch one way, or of leaving them the other.