Hospital pond improves efficiency, saves money with HOLZ expansion joint

The HOLZ team helped a university hospital get the perfect expansion joint for a duck pond.

HOLZ Rubber Company is a leading producer of expansion joints – metallic, fibre, high-temperature, and more – and Northern Industrial Supply Company (NISCO) is privileged to be the distributor of these joints in Canada. But HOLZ is not just a provider of great products; it is also a team of experts ready to assist clients with expansion joint replacement.

One success story involved a university medical centre in California, which was having difficulty with a recirculating water system for an ornamental duck pond.

HOLZ to the rescue

An inspection of the water system found a leaking expansion joint between a 20-centimetre pipe and the suction side of a pump with a 15-centimetre connection. The joint being used had not been designed for pump settlement: it was too short for the face-to-face dimension, which had caused it to stretch beyond its capabilities over time. This resulted in a leak and a shortened operational life.

The leak was initially small, but its pressure eventually ranged between three and five pounds per square inch. This resulted in a low level of efficiency in the system. If left alone, the leak would cause the pump to work excessively hard – and wear out prematurely.

An expansion joint replacement was necessary and urgent. Fortunately, the hospital made the correct choice: it turned to the HOLZ team.

HOLZ personnel examined the system and determined that it required an expansion joint with a full vacuum rating of 30″ HG, since vacuum was a major factor on the pump’s suction side. Another influence on the company’s decision was the current joint’s misalignment, caused by the piping having settled over time.

The solution HOLZ settled on was to manufacture a custom-sized, tapered, eccentric expansion joint designed to fit the settled piping. The new joint had thick flanges for a leak-proof seal.

Results? The expansion joint replacement not only improved the pump equipment’s efficiency; it also saved the hospital money, as no pump replacement was necessary. Fixing the leak early with HOLZ’s assistance was a wise decision.

Trust NISCO to bring the HOLZ solution to any expansion-joint issue.

To learn more, contact NISCO.

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