What is pipe reducer company and Why Do We Use Them?

Jop

Replied byon topic Piping

Here is some help that was posted on the old pipingdesigners forum.

“In piping there is a reason for everything”
M. J. (Mike) Garofalo

Mike Garofalo was the Manager of Piping Engineering and Design at Fluor Corporation’s Southern California Division from mid 1954 till 1980. He did more for the piping profession in that company than anyone I know of. He was a visionary, a leader and a teacher.

One of the most important things that Mike did during his early years was to keep in touch with all the jobs and all the pipers. He would make a weekly “walk-around” through all the projects and talk to some of the piping people. He would not talk to every piper every week, (there were just too many) but he would randomly stop and talk to a few pipers on each job.

There are a lot of stories that could be told about him but I want to talk about his words, “In piping there is a reason for everything.” I first heard these words sometime in the late 1950’s when I was working on a project as a young piping designer. This was during the time when the other 3D design models were being built. We used wood and plastic for the structures and equipment, and we used brass wire with specific sized rubber sleeves for the pipe. We cast all of our own valves and soldered them to the brass wire. The pipers did allthe model piping.


There came a time when the model board I was working on was about 90% complete and Mike showed up for his weekly walk-around. On this particular day he stopped at my table and looked over my work. He greeted me and I, shaking in my boots, greeted him in response. He then proceeded to point to a specific line and ask, “Why did you route that line that way?” Needless to say I was a bit flustered and my response was “I don’t know”.

Now Mike was a full head taller than me and out weighed me by at least 150 pounds. He was Italian and looked stern. After my answer he turned red and I swear I saw steam come out his ears. I was sure that I had just made a classic career-ending mistake. But no, he proceeded to pull up a drafting stool and sit down beside me. He lowered his voice and taught me my most valuable piping lesson.

He said to me that “In piping there is a reason for everything. He told me that when you are about to route a line, place a valve or locate an instrument connection you must know why you are doing it and why you are doing it that specific way and why you are placing it there. If you don’t know why then you should look again. If you can not figure out why then you should ask one of the senior pipers.”

He went on to say “Today it was me that asked you this question, but what if it had been the Client?” He went on, “What do you think he or she would have thought? You see there is always a reason for routing a line a certain way or placing a valve in a certain place.” We talked for some time about this approach to piping and I have remembered it and used it throughout my career.

Reasons to consider:
- Functional: Check the P&ID for the function of this line valve, instrument or other item. It has a purpose and it may have some specific restrictions (do not pocket, slope, etc.)
- Mechanical: The limitations of the piping materials or the properties of the piping materials may have a baring on the assembly or configuration.
- Stress and flexibility: The routing must consider that lines expand or contract and they cause forces that can result in failure of the system.
- Fabrication/Installation: The ability to fabricate and install a piping system may seem like small thing but it needs to be considered.
- Operation: What does the operator need to do to operate valves and read instruments.
- Maintenance: What is required to maintain this piping system and the equipment around this specific area.
- Safety: Not thinking about the pipe routing may result in a situation that creates an unsafe work place.

It would have been good for all pipers to meet Mike. But sadly he is gone now. But you can all remember his words:
“In piping there is a reason for everything”



What does it take to be a good piper? To be a good piper you need knowledge (data and information), intelligence and wisdom. You see there is a big difference between these three. What’s the difference? Let’s start with all five terms.

Knowledge, n. the state of knowing, cognition // understanding. (Consisting of):
-Data, n. a known fact // the assumption which forms the basis for an inference or conclusion. Data plural of Datum (fact, facts).

-Information, n. the communication of news, knowledge etc. a fact or facts told or communicated // data fed to a machine

Intelligence, n. the ability to perceive logical relationships and use one's knowledge to solve problems and respond appropriately to novel situations.

Wisdom, n. the quality of being wise. Wise, adj. having the ability to make a right decision or judgment by applying intelligent thought to a wide range of and knowledge, with prudence

The above is very important to the piping designer in the performance of the day to day piping work. You need to make sure you have all the data and all the information. With this pool of knowledge you will hopefully have the intelligence to do the work right and the wisdom to get it when it is required.

A key issue here is:
Is All the Right Information Known?
And
Is All the Known Information Right?

I will give you an example where this applied. And in this example the answer to the first question was yes, but the answer to the second question turned out to be a big no.

My company accepted a small secondary “add-on” project from an existing client. I was assigned to this smaller project as the piping engineering lead. The client was in such a rush for this project that they had already purchased all the equipment. (From vendor “X”) We had to deal thru the client for all communications with vendor “X”. The equipment was already being manufactured. We needed all the information about the equipment including the shape, size, configuration, anchor bolt locations, piping connections, etc. Vendor “X” would not talk to us and said we should talk to the client.

We finally got both the client and vendor “X” to agree to a joint meeting. In this meeting we asked if vendor “X” had done there engineering drawings on a computer. They said they had and it turned out their system was compatible with the system we were using. We asked if their drawing were accurate and to scale. They said, “Of course!” Figuring we could save a lot of time I asked the client to have vendor “X” give us an electronic copy of the equipment files. Vendor “X” said “No problem.”

To make a long story short, we got the files. They were very detailed and we proceeded to use them. Structural got a copy and started on their work. Piping got a copy and started on their work. When we brought the two models together they did not match. The problem was that the electronic picture and the dimensions did not match. Somehow they (vendor “X”) had taken an electronic copy of the equipment from another (smaller) job and then overridden the dimensions to meet the needs of our project.

I had used poor judgement in not having the E-drawings checked. We had all the right E- drawings but not all of the E- drawings were right.

I hope you find this helpful

Do it once and Do it Right

Pipe reducers are one of the many types of fitting that can be used to control the flow within a piping system. In a piping system, there are two major types of reducer: concentric reducers and eccentric reducers. We’re going to talk about both types of reducer, what they are, and when you might use them. For the most part, reducing (and expanding) pipes is fairly straightforward. But there are some exceptions that are important to note for the health of a piping system.

What is a Pipe Reducer?

First, let’s keep it simple: A pipe reducer is a pipe fitting that connects a larger pipe to a smaller pipe. Thus, it reduces the size of the pipe in the pipe system, from one size to another. Pipe reducers may frequently be used to connect pipes of different sizes. There are a variety of reasons why this might be done, and there are a variety of materials that could be flowing through the pipe, which is why there are different types of pipe reducer.

Like other pipe fittings, it can be very complicated to find the right pipe reducer. The fit can be complicated, and materials will matter. But once you find the right pipe reducer, the installation should be fairly simple and fast.

When Would You Use a Pipe Reducer?

Reducers can be used simply to adapt pipes of other sizes, but there are also more complicated uses for them. They may need to be used when the flow has to be limited or expanded in a piping system, such as if the hydraulic nature of the piping system demands it. If you’re using a pipe reducer, you need to consider the consequences for the pipe system as a whole, because there will be changes in both flow and pressure.

Once you know that you need to use a pipe reducer, you need to make the decision between concentric and eccentric reducers. Most people are going to need to use a concentric pipe reducer, but there are some important reasons why an eccentric pipe reducer might be preferred.

Concentric vs Eccentric Reducer: What’s the Difference?

While this may seem complicated, it’s actually quite simple. Concentric reducers reduce the pipe in the center. So, if you’re looking at the reducer head-on, you can see the smaller section is formed in the direct center of the larger side. Eccentric reducers reduce the pipe to the side. So, if you’re looking at the reducer head-on, you can see the smaller section is against one side of the larger side.

This may seem like a very simple change, but it does matter.

The cone-shaped concentric pipe reducer means the pipes have matched center lines, and the eccentric reducer has mis-matched center lines. Both of these have a consequence regarding flow. Most reducers are going to be concentric. Eccentric reducers are used when the pipes have to maintain the same top or bottom level. Eccentric reducers are frequently used to avoid trapping air within the system, so they are often used when both air and liquids may be flowing together.

Most people are going to need a cone-shaped concentric pipe reducer, because they aren’t going to need one side of the reducer to remain flat. But in many applications, either can be used, as long as the bottom of the eccentric reducer is placed correctly. The major concern about eccentric reducers is that they can collect liquids or gasses in one area if they are not properly aligned. When used vertically, there is essentially no difference between a concentric or eccentric pipe reducer.

What About Concentric and Eccentric Expanders?

It should be noted that while they are called reducers, reducers by their very nature are also expanders. They are simply used in the opposite direction as expanders. Thus, expanders can also be both concentric and eccentric, and the consequences of using one or the other to expand rather than reduce are the same. Either way, they are being used when a pipe of one size has to transition to a pipe of another size.

How Are Reducers Installed?

How a reducer is installed depends on the material that the reducer and the pipes are made from. If the reducer and pipes are made from metal, they can be butt-welded together. If the reducers are made of PVC, they will likely be fitted and glued. There are reducers that may have push-to-fit or crimp installations as well. It depends on how the reducer was made, the material, and the goals for the reducer.

To install the reducer, the reducer will be fitted on both pipes, and connected in the appropriate way. But care must be taken with eccentric reducers to ensure that the bottom of the eccentric reducer is properly lined up. In piping liquids horizontally, eccentric reducers need the flat side up, because otherwise gasses can collect. But in piping vapors horizontally, eccentric reducers need the flat side down, because they need to avoid collecting liquids.

The more the pipe is reduced, the more concerns there may be related to flow. If the pipe is only being reduced a little, then there shouldn’t be any complications.

How Do You Find the Right Pipe Reducer?

Let’s say you already know that you need a concentric or eccentric pipe reducer. This isn’t the only thing you will need to know. Because you are connecting pipes, you will also need to know the material. There could be metal reducers, PVC reducers, PEX reducers, and so forth, each with their own method of connection. If you’re connecting two metal pipes, you might want a welded reducer. Otherwise, you might want one that can be fitted and glued.

You also need to know the sizes. Fitting for pipes can be tricky because they don’t go by the universal size of pipe. Instead, they go by the outside measurement for a male pipe, and an inside measurement for the female pipe. So, you need to know your type of pipe, and the exact size, and the exact material. One of the easiest ways to fit pipes is simply to bring the relevant pipes with you to match them up to the fittings.

When it comes to concentric vs eccentric reducer fittings, the initial choice of fitting should be obvious. That being said, finding pipe fittings is always complicated, and using the wrong pipe fitting can be disastrous. If you need to know more about pipe fittings, it’s time to consult with the experts. Check with Steel Forgings today to learn more about pipes and pipe fittings, and how to find the right concentric or eccentric reducers with rapid turnaround.