Older Boiler in My Garage!

Half of a union may or may not fit up the same.
May the Force be with you.

I can remove the union, but the tee is stuck to the top union piece. I found a machine shop in town that said they could take a look at it, I'll take it over later this week but will wrestle with it until then!

.I don't have anything that would cut it,

Go to Harbor Freight spend $25.-$30. and get a 4-1/2" angle grinder and a pack of thin cut-off wheel discs.

Throw some sparks and stop short of gouging the precious nipple threads. Then apply the persuader (BFH) to coax it to split now that you have weakened it.
Now you'll have that lower union half busted in two.

Treat yourself to a new 3" union and be done with the other.

Grand pappy always said "Do it any way you want...as long as you do it the last way first"

if you have the grinder Mcgiver described you have several choices
1- you can undo the Union and split the tee off the short nipple
2-you could split the orphan half of the union off the nippel still attached to the boiler outlet
Either way, you will need to purchase and install some fitting to couple forward

or

again as above - just buy a new union and see if the half you need mates up - you can feel if its going to seal or not - and if it don't fit = return it or use it someplace

PS __ Nice pic

buying a whole union and using half may be the best bet! Are there good places to order them. I've looked at graingers and....wow like $140.00 for a union...any other good places to look?

Supplyhouse.com about $60 for 3" union.

That looks like a cast iron tee. If the union comes apart lay the tee on a solid surface and break it off.

It will simply break? Sledgehammer?

$60....not bad ill take a look at those too

coldinmaine wrote:It will simply break? Sledgehammer?

$60....not bad ill take a look at those too

Yes, yes.

Might weaken it first with many small well placed holes drilled.

Guess the easiest way to deal with the beast, sometimes isn't the most obvious. I would cut the pipe about an inch above the boiler. Use a good sized hammer with a bigger punch and drive the steel pipe into the center. I do quite a few of these and the steel pipe is by far the easiest to work on. It doesn't take much to make the diameter of the steel pipe smaller so it threads out easily. You can also cut a couple slots close to each other on the inside of the pipe and the punch will tear the piece out. don't make the mistake of cutting the pipe too close to the boiler. The part sticking out is your working surface. After looking at your picture, cut it right where the threads stop or just a little above that. You will be able to get a reducer for short money at the supply house. I just got one made in the USA ( in Plattsburg) for $14.

I like Scotts plan also...work smarter, not harder.

Doing it for cheap is a huge plus, also. Way to go, Scott

Scott
Your recommending a good plan that a pro like yourself could employ with little risk

but it appears the OP does not have quite that level of expertise = hence my recommendations to work the fittings above.
Ill even remind that the orphaned flange of the original Union could be easily split off the nipple and Ill testify that working on the outside is easier than working on the inside of the nipple. That Union part removed -- just add on a simple coupling and reducing bushing -- or a reducing coupling or XXX

It Depends!

Yes worst case the owner could hire a portable welder to cut out and fit a new outlet port if things go bad there

but ????

why not just build on to what is already there and get on with life

coldinmaine wrote:I can remove the union, but the tee is stuck to the top union piece. I found a machine shop in town that said they could take a look at it, I'll take it over later this week but will wrestle with it until then!

Just take it to the machine shop. Or a mechanic/body shop. They probably have an oxy/acet. torch there and know how to use it.

I also have an induction heater with a long rope attachment that I can wrap around larger pipe and heat without flames.
Look at the piece on the left hand side of the lid.

http://www.amazon.com/Induction-Innovations-MD-70 ... ion+heater

Case closed !!!!!!!!!!

Rick

Kudos to Scottscoaled for his excellent suggestion.

It looks like you have schedule 80 black iron pipe and fittings there.

You could rent or buy a small fibre optic camera with the extension cable
that would allow you to inspect the innards of the beast with the fitting in place
and accomplish two things.

1. Inspect the innards and then flush it out with hot water while
you watch the proceedings while you flush out the sludge.

If you decide to do the surgery:

VRRRRRRM!!! slow but steady with the rosebud tip and the oxy acetylene gas
and your welder for hire will have that beast off in a few minutes so you can
flush the EFM boiler out.

If the welder for hire has only one acetylene bottle and his rosebud torch ....... find someone else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sting...you hit the problem right on the head...I started panicking a little reading scott's suggestion, because I am unaware of all the risks, and how to fix them WHEN (not if!!) I mess up. I am hesitant to weld/cut anything touching the boiler itself because I have little experience.

To all-do you think I should try to get rid of the union???...or should it be leak free....is there a good way to seal it??