I. Treatment Methods for Leaking Water from DN500 Stainless Steel Flange Connections

Before handling, safety comes first! If the media in the pipeline is pressurized, hot, or corrosive, always perform safety procedures such as depressurization, draining, cooling, and purging.

Handling Steps:

1. Shutdown and Drainage:
Close the valves upstream and downstream of the leaking pipe section to isolate the pipeline system.
Open the drain or vent valve to drain as much accumulated water and pressure as possible from the pipe section.

2. Site Inspection and Preparation:
Thoroughly inspect the leak: Determine whether it's a failed gasket, loose bolts, or damage to the flange surface (such as corrosion or cracks).
Clean the area around the leak, removing rust, sludge, and old paint, to create a clean, flat surface for installing the leak repair clamp.
Select the appropriate leak repair clamp based on the pipe size (DN500) and pressure rating.

3. Install the leak repair clamp:
Positioning: Slide the leak repair clamp over the leaking flange connection, ensuring it completely covers the flange and adjacent pipework. Alignment: Adjust the position of the leak repair clamp for optimal sealing.
Tightening: Use a torque wrench (very important!) to evenly tighten the bolts on the leak repair clamp in diagonal order. Adhere to the manufacturer's specified torque value to ensure uniform sealing force and avoid overtightening on one side, which may cause new leaks or damage the leak repair clamp.
4. Pressure Test and Resuming Operation:
Slowly open the valve and inject water or fluid into the repaired pipe section.
Gradually increase the pressure and carefully observe the leak repair clamp for leakage. If slight leakage is detected, lightly tighten the bolts again in diagonal order.
Once no leakage is confirmed, normal operation can be resumed.

II. Advantages of Using Leak Repair Clamps

Using leak repair clamps is particularly advantageous for large-diameter pipe flange leaks, such as those in the DN500 range:

1. No Hot Work Required, Safe and Efficient:

Major Advantage: Traditional welding repairs require hot work, which carries the risk of fire and explosion. Furthermore, for stainless steel pipes, welding requires high technical skills and can easily alter material properties. Leak repair clamps feature a completely mechanical connection, eliminating the need for flames, significantly improving operational safety. They are particularly suitable for hazardous environments such as those involving flammable and explosive materials.
2. Under-pressure plugging without shutting down the pipeline:
In some cases, under-pressure plugging technology combined with special leak repair clamps can be used for installation, enabling repairs without interrupting production, avoiding the significant economic losses and social impact of water outages and production stoppages. This is crucial for continuously operating industrial systems or main water supply networks.
3. Fast installation and shortened repair time:
The installation process is simple, typically requiring only two to three people to complete within a short period of time (e.g., 30 minutes to one hour). Compared to traditional processes that require shutting down the pipeline, cooling, welding, flaw detection, and restoration, repair time can be reduced by over 90%, enabling faster restoration of operations.
4. Strong adaptability and reliable sealing:
High-quality leak repair clamps (Baoshuo leak repair clamps) utilize high-performance sealing rings (such as NBR, EPDM, and silicone) that can adapt to minor pipe surface irregularities, corrosion, and minor axial/radial deviations. Leak repair clamps, designed specifically for flanges, perfectly wrap around the entire flange pair, providing a 360° uniform sealing pressure. This highly reliable seal typically holds up to the original design pressure of the pipe.
5. High versatility and low inventory costs:
Leak repair clamps are available in a wide range of sizes, and spare parts are readily available for common sizes like DN500. Companies no longer need to stockpile a large number of flanges, spool pieces, bolts, and other welding materials for various pipe sizes. Simply stocking a few sizes of leak repair clamps will suffice for most emergencies, reducing inventory costs and management difficulties.
6. Reusable and cost-effective:
Once purchased, the leak repair clamp can be reused for the next similar leak (as long as the body and seal are intact), making it highly cost-effective in the long term. Welding repairs, on the other hand, are a one-time expense.
7. Non-destructive repair:
No alteration or damage is caused to the original pipe or flange. If valve replacement or other maintenance is required in the future, the leak repair clamp can be easily removed to restore the flange to its original condition.

Baoshuo's emergency repair clamps include stainless steel 304 and 316L pipe repair clamps, seawater-resistant, SS2205 stainless steel pipe repair clamps, oil-resistant pipe repair clamps, and high-pressure pipe repair clamps (100 kg pressure), depending on the pipeline's internal media requirements.

Conclusion

Leak repair clamps are the preferred and optimal solution for leaks at DN500 stainless steel pipe flange connections. They combine safety, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and reliability, making them particularly suitable for emergency repairs, hazardous environments, and applications where extended production downtime is unacceptable. When selecting a product, be sure to select reliable quality and a reputable brand, and have it installed according to specifications by trained personnel to ensure optimal repair results.