Ring Type Joints

Hi Everyone,

Few questions regarding installation of Ring type Joints
1. How we install the RTJ gaskets.Does any adhesive needed to hold gaskets into the groove of RTJ flanges particularly when installation into the vertical flanges.Or does it sit into the groove itself.
2.Is there any test RTJ gaskets used in hydrotesting or pneumatic testing since the gaskets can be costly.
3.What are the common problems during the installation of RTJ Joints.
thanks for your reply in advance.
deepu

I know of an issue you need to be aware of, normally you won't run across it, but you need to know it exist! On RTJ flanges you have two designs ...old style and "new". The old style has an oval shaped ring, the newer style is a octagon shaped ring. You can use an oval shaped ring in a newer octagon shape flange and it will work fine. BUT you can't use the newer octagon shape in the old oval flange ...it just won't seal. Now like I said you probably won't run into this issue, but in my area we have a lot of older piping systems, and this issue pops up. What normally happens is the supplier substitutes the oval ring for every order on ring gaskets ...and there is no issue. BUT there is an issue that pops up from time to time doing this. From the factory there is a standard gap dimension between flanges with a ring gasket, but when you switch to oval shaped rings that gap becomes wider, so when you string a number of flanged connections together, the error grows, and in certain situations can cause a problem. SO you need to be aware of this and compensate for it ...if need be!

On your question of testing. There are gaskets available for leak testing, which avoids having to potentially fill large sections of line. Check out www.kamos.no/kamos-gaskets.htm