Professional Piping Services, Inc.

This inaugural post is to make it clear that this blog and its content are the product of TecBrat and not my client, Professional Piping Services, Inc.

TecBrat will attempt to ensure whatever is written here is accurate, but considering I'm a web-developer and not a pipe cleaning professional, I am subject to error and ignorance. If you'd like to let me know about an error, please submit a comment on the relevant post and I'll look into it.

My goal is to share some of the wisdom and experience of my client while hopefully helping the world to get to know my client.

The importance of Pipeline Pigging Education

Understanding the various applications where pigs are used is an important step in the pigging education process. Obviously, each application varies, but there are some general rules that are key to understand in developing an intelligent cleaning program, such as:

• Operating parameters
• Documented pigging records
• Pipelines characteristics
• How to make decisions based on pig type and run frequency data
• Knowing the type of product present in the line
• IE: lines that carry liquids require a different style cleaning procedure than gas lines
• Understanding gasoline or diesel piping systems are generally more clean products that may not need the same style poly pig used to clean the pipeline as piping that carries some type of heavy product like Crude

Once these and other “basics” of pigging are covered, the next step is to develop an intelligent cleaning program by using tools to measure, monitor and record the effectiveness of specific cleaning methods, the pigs used and the run frequency.

Do you need help with creating and implementing a pigging process that will work best for your piping system?  Contact Professional Piping Services, Inc today. 

Professional Piping specializes in developing customized pigging programs for you and your needs. Their team of pigging experts will evaluate your system, applications and goals to create the most effective cleaning application possible then their certified team will come and do the work for you. For more information about Professional Piping Services, Inc.and how they can assist you with your piping needs, call them today toll free at 800-780-6098 or locally in the Tampa Bay area at 813-994-0032.

Preventing Pipeline Corrosion

Regularly scheduled and coordinated pipeline pigging can help prevent corrosion, one of the most distressing problems affecting pipeline systems today. Nonexistent or inadequate pipeline pigging programs, improper piping maintenance programs, aging pipelines, and a lack of corrosion chemical programs have contributed to an increased sign of corrosion in pipelines.

Federal and state regulations mandate that operators regularly perform inspections on their piping systems to locate wall loss. Typically, a forceful pigging program combined with a chemical treatment of a corrosion inhibitor is the most effective way to mitigate the advancement of pipeline corrosion. These corrosion inhibitor chemicals work their best when applied to a clean surface or freshly pigged pipeline. This entails that surface debris, other materials and water must be removed before the chemical process begins. The most effective way to do this is by using the proper poly pig and pigging method designed to get the cleanest pipes possible.

Professional Piping Services can assist you in determining the right treatment for your piping system.  They carry numerous types of poly pigs some configured with special brushes designed to treat specific corrosion issues, along with pigs for clearing wax build up and other debris.

Don’t leave it to chance. Move forward with confidence. 

Let the experts at
Professional Piping Services, Inc help you decide what pigging
method is right for your needs.

Call them today toll free at 800-780-6098
or locally in the Tampa Bay Florida area at 813-994-0032.

Wax Build Up in Pipelines

 Wax Build Up in Pipelines

Gas condensates and crude oil contain differing amounts of wax. This wax can become intensely hard on the walls of your pipelines over time, especially with temperature and/or static flow changes during maintenance shutdowns. Wax is dissolved at 60 to 70°C, but when the temperature drops below 35-40°C, it solidifies, causing an uneven flow, roughness and a reduction in product flow due to shrinkage in diameter caused by the build up.

Regular pigging maintenance reduces the potential for wax build-up to form, Regular maintenance keeps energy costs down and product flow maximized. It is critical however, to use the proper pigs and cleaning methods to avoid damage to valves.

Professional Piping Services, Inc. offers the most effective wax cleaning services, using specially designed poly pigs made to remove wax from the line by keeping it suspended just ahead of the product flow thus voiding damage to valves and other components. 

Let the pigging experts at Professional Piping assist you in coming up with a maintenance program to prevent wax build-up, or any other type of pipeline debris, in your piping system. Contact them today toll free at 800-780-6098 or locally in the Tampa Bay Florida area at 813-994-0032 to discuss your piping needs.

Certified Underground Utility Contractor License Number CU-C055718

Gas and Oil Industry Pipeline Pigging

The gas and oil industry use pigging to clean and inspect their pipelines, typically using the more advanced ‘smart pigs’ capable of detecting corrosion and leaks which can be explosive and dangerous to the environment. Pigging has been used for many years to clean large diameter pipelines in the oil industry. 

These industries, especially gas processing plants, often integrate pigging stations along their piping system. They are usually co-located with compressor stations or sited independently along the pipelines. Pigging operations are generally included in the project plans of interstate gas pipeline projects and are considered to a part of the pipeline system, therefore they aren’t allowed to be separate and oversight of these stations falls to pipeline companies, utilities and oil and gas operators per FERC or the Federal Energy Regulation Commission.

If you have questions about gas or oil pipeline and the regulations set in place by FERC, contact the experts at Professional Piping Services today. Their experienced and knowledgeable staff will help you find the answers to keep your system up to code and operating at its peak.

Hydrostatic Pressure Testing

Boilers, evaporators, gas cylinders and pipelines that fluids flow through, there are many vessels in industries that undergo high pressure processes.  The fluids might be gas, liquid or possibly highly corrosive chemicals like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. There are specific ranges of pressure for pipelines to transport fluids or for the vessels to operate. Even the most minor of leaks in the pipeline can lead to pressure loss and there is a potential for environmental contamination.

With the possibility of contamination,it is vital in both construction and maintenance of pipelines that Pipeline Hydrostatic testing be performed. It is necessary to make sure newly constructed lines are correctly commissioned for their purposed use before going into use. Also, regularly scheduled proper maintenance is required for any pipeline susceptible to leaking or failing so that it is caught during controlled testing procedures and NOT while chemicals or fuels are flowing through the pipes.

Pipeline hydrostatic pressure testing is done by charging the pipeline followed by shutting off the supply valve to document observations about the pressure loss. This hydrostatic test is done prior to commissioning and is a non-destructive test or quality control procedure which shows the integrity of the pipeline and the fabrication, as well as the welding and joint jobs performed on it.

With something as vital, don’t leave it to chance.  Contact a company with the skill and expertise to handle the job like the people at Professional Piping Services. Call them today at 800-780-6098 to discuss your concerns

My Client, Professional Piping Services, Inc., is a Certified Underground Utility Contractor License Number CU-C055717 Any errors in this document are not the fault of Professional Piping Services, Inc. and should be brought to the attention of the blog owner for immediate correction.

Pipeline Smoke Testing

Why should smoke testing be done?

Smoke testing is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to identify and locate exfiltration and infiltration problems in sewer systems.

Smoke testing involves smoke filled air to be forced through a sewer line. The pressure used causes the smoke to fill the pipeline and any connections, following the path of the leak to the surface, ultimately revealing the source of the leak. Smoke tests are highly effective no matter of soil type, depth of lines or surface types, so long as openings exist for the smoke to follow.

Smoke doesn't always begin at the spot the smoke plumes emerges.Sometimes, smoke can be seen coming out through vents, gutters, manholes or out of the ground.that may indicate a defect or possible break in the sewer pipeline itself. Since sewer gases can cause health issues, determining the origin of plumbing leaks in buildings is of particular importance to building occupants and owners.

If you know or suspect that there might be issues with the sewer pipeline connected to your property, contact the experts at Professional Piping Services at 800-780-6098 to discuss your options.

Pickled Pipes?

PICKLING (CHEMICAL DESCALING) 

Chemical descaling, also known as pickling, is one of several available pre-treatment steps for preparing pipes for additional processing like electropolishing or passivation. It can be used prior to “superior” cleaning operation of welded lines or structures.

Pickling typically is done to remove firmly attached oxide films, commonly caused by heat treating, welding, hot-forming and other high temperature operations. All these oxides, also known as ‘scale’, need to be removed. In some cases, pickling of stainless steels is performed in two steps, one for softening the scale and one for final scale removal. Over-pickling, under-pickling and pitting usually are the direct results of lack of control over process variables including acid concentrations, solution temperature and contact time making the choice to use a professional like the people at Professional Piping Services, Inc a wise decision.

Before the pickling process is performed, heavy surface soils like, heavy rust, dye, adhesive residue, grease, some scale, oil and other types of foreign materials need to removed. This is commonly done by the use of solvent or chemical cleaning, steam cleaning, water jetting and mechanical cleaning like pipe pigging.


Contact Professional Piping Services Inc. toll free at 800-780-6098 for those outside the Tampa Bay area or locally at 813-994-0032 to discuss your piping needs and to discuss a plan that’s right for your situation.

Regular Pipeline Cleaning Is Crucial

There are various reasons why regular pipeline cleaning is crucial.  Below are what’s considered the five most important:

1. Cleaning restores the hydraulic efficiencies of the pipeline thereby improving its carrying capacity
2. Keeps build-up reduced making the insertion of internal pipe diagnostic tools quick and easy prior to a condition assessment
3. Clean pipes are a necessary step prior to any pipeline rehabilitation service
4. Clearing pipe build-up greatly reduces how hard a pump must work to transport water through the pipeline: lower pump pressure equals less stress on the pump causing it to last longer and operate at a lower cost
5. Any deposits on the inside of the pipeline will affect the taste, turbidity and quality of the water

You have several options when it comes to types of pipeline cleaning, each with its own benefits,

Jetting: Jetting uses a high-pressured flow of water to scrub the inside surface of a pipe to remove scale and other debris that’s built up over time.The benefits of jetting include, less water use, particularly if using reclaimed water, easier access planning with cut-ins, ability to track progress with hose length.

Scraping: Scraping is a more mechanical process, where a device is pulled or pushed through a pipe to remove any built-up deposits down to the bare metal of the pipe.  Because of this harsh treatment, it should always be followed by a pipe lining method to help prevent increased rate of corrosion.  Some benefits of scraping are; it can provide effective, long-term cleaning especially for pipes with the hardest of pipe deposits and it doesn’t rely on pipe flow or water pressure.

Pigging: Pipeline pigging if the process that removes debris and cleans the inside of the pipeline using a device known as a “pig”. The pig is sent through the piping via normal water flow. Pigs are generally spherical or round, aiding its ability to more freely through the pipe and clean the pipe efficiently. Some benefits include; the ability to clean up to one mile in just run and less expensive equipment, both lowering the cost of cleaning.

Whatever the application, Professional Piping Services has best-in-class cleaning technology to get your pipelines clean – no matter how tough the deposits. Contact them today to talk about all your industrial pipe cleaning needs.

Hydrant Leg Pipe Pigging

Piping systems that deliver potable water can also have another critical function, that being the provision of water in both sufficient pressure and volume to meet the demands of firefighting equipment. Thus making the cleaning of hydrant leg piping at the same time as cleaning the main line advantageous to restore both to their maximum flow.

When the main line is restored and cleaned to its ultimate flow capacity, typically there is significant increase in the volume capacity of the system. However, if the pipes that connect the hydrants to the main are not cleaned at the same time, then those improvements in flow may not be reflected in the flow capacity of the hydrant. This is one reason companies like Professional Piping Services urge the cleaning of the hydrant leg piping be part of the overall cleaning plan of the system.

In cities and communities, there is one thing essential to all areas, the importance of fire safety.  Don’t wait to test the system when an emergency arises. Make the cleaning of hydrant leg piping part of your overall potable water piping cleaning plan. Contact Professional Piping Services to discuss cleaning options with you today, 

Cleaning for Industrial Reverse Osmosis Systems

Industrial Reverse Osmosis systems (RO Systems) can vary in size from just a gallon per minute up to five hundred gallons per minute! (That's 720,000 gallons every day) These system can remove over 99% of salts in solution & pretty much all colloidal and suspended material out of any feed water including municipal water supplies, brackish water, and even seawater applications. RO units supply high quality water at a low cost compared to other purification options.

Industrial Reverse Osmosis systems are frequently custom designed for the specific water treatment needs of an application. The experience and knowledge of an experienced team of system, mechanical and chemical engineers is required for this design. These systems then are constructed with high quality components to will provide long-term reliable operation.

When you put that kind of time, effort and financial resources into a reverse osmois system, you'll want to ensure the feed water comes to you through clean pipes! The delicate, sensitive nature of the reverse osmosis process requires the incoming flow to be nearly free of sand and other particulates. That's why you see all of the filters, screening and such that are a key part of the system.

When might cleaning reverse osmosis systems' supply pipes be considered?

1. Before it ever turns on! Prudent and pragmatic cleaning of the system prior to going into service ensures the best possible outcome.
2. Filters & screens are frequently clogged, showing that the supply pipes are dirty.
3. You realize that, even though the system had extended post construction flushing, the incoming water still fails to meet your standards to be properly suited for the system to perform its designated purpose.

For more information about cleaning the supply piping for your Reverse Osmosis System, or other Industrial Pipe Cleaning inquiries,  please contact Professional Piping Services, Inc. 800-780-6098 Certified Underground Utility Contractor License Number CU-C055717

What is a Force Main System?

I've mentioned in my blogs that Pipeline Pigging can be used to clean Force Main systems, but I don't remember ever explaining just what a force main is.

I referenced the EPA website to get a good explanation of this topic.

Force Main Piping systems carry pressurized wastewater away from a pump or pneumatic ejector toward its discharge point.  The pressurizing equipment is located at a lift station and provide the energy to move the wastewater through the piping system.

A  Force Main System is made up of Pipes, Valves, Pressure Surge Control Devices and Force Main Cleaning Systems.

Force Main Systems can be made from a variety of materials depending on the conditions that are expected inside and around the pipes. They are also constructed of various diameters of pipes. Wastewater quality and composition is the primary determining factor of piping material and desired flow rate is the key to deciding on diameter and wall thickness. Corrosion resistance will be among the variables considered, as will operating pressure and trench conditions.

Some facilities will choose to aerate the wastewater or add chlorine at the lift station to control odors and limit corrosion. Pressure surge control devices help prevent system damage and are especially important during system startup and shut-down. These are usually automatic cone or ball valves.

As I mentioned briefly above and have written about before, Force Main System cleaning is generally accomplished using Inline Pipe Pigging. Pig insertion facilities are usually included in the lift station and a retrieval station is located at the discharge point. Longer Force Main Systems may include multiple insertion / retrieval points throughout their course to allow easier access for cleaning.

When might a Force Main System be needed?

When the discharge point is at a higher elevation than the source of the wastewater, gravity cannot be used. One might seek alternative processing locations at lower elevation, but in locations such as beachfront Florida, there simply isn't any lower ground on which to build a facility.

Use of Force Main Systems can also significantly reduce the size and depth of the trenches, thereby decreasing the overall costs of sewer system construction. Often, gravity sewers must be installed in trenches deeper than twenty feet, pushing the cost of sewer line installation significantly higher due to the complex and costly heavy excavation equipment and
trench maintenance required. The diameter of pressurized force mains is usually one to two
sizes smaller than the diameter of gravity lines, allowing significant pipeline cost reduction. Force main installation can also be simpler because of shallower pipeline trenches and
reduced earthwork. Installation of Force Main System is not dependent on site specific topographic conditions such as available terrain slope, which typically limits gravity wastewater
movement.

Force Main System reliability and useful life are comparable to
that of gravity sewer lines. Pipeline reliability may be compromised by excessive pressure surges,  corrosion, or lack of routine maintenance. Pipeline Pigging for cleaning and inspection should play a significant role in that routine maintenance schedule.

Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor

I've mentioned in this blog that Professional Piping Services, Inc. is a Licensed Underground Utility Contractor, but I don't think I ever defined that term for those who are not familiar with it.

To be more precise, CIMBORA, ROGER MICHAEL, the owner of  Professional Piping Services, Inc. holds Florida License CU-C055717 as a Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor.

It seems mostly self explanatory, but let me dig a little deeper. I promise you, that was an accidental pun.

I'll focus on Florida, considering that's where Professional Piping Services, Inc. operates.

In order to share this information with you, I had to learn a bit more myself, so I found myself on the site of Contractor Campus where a person can enroll to learn and become a contractor.

They wrote that a Florida Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor is a contractor limiting their services to constructing, installing, and repairing piping systems. This can be on public or private property. The service can be performed by excavating the area or other means such as directional drilling, auger boring, trenchless tech and others. The systems they service can include sanitary sewers, water distribution systems, storm sewers and the continuation of utility lines from the main system all the way to a customer's meter or individual sewer access. The Contractor Campus goes into more detail than this web developer understands. (Did I tell you before? My client is the piping system professional, not me!)

If the piping system is an integral part of a fire suppression system, another license is required.

In order to obtain a Certified Underground Utility Contractor’s license, certain experience and education must be obtained. The document I referenced gave 5 possibilities:

1. Four-year degree from an accredited college, studying a construction-related field. Plus one year of proven experience in the proper category.
2. One year of foreman experience and at least 3 years accredited college-level courses.
3. One year as a worker, one year as a foreman, and two years in accredited college-level courses
4. Two years as a worker, one year as a foreman, and one year of accredited college-level courses.
5. Four years as a worker or foreman of which at least a year was as a foreman.

Mr. Cimbora has over 6 decades of piping industry experience and has written many scholarly papers on the topic and been involved in educating new generations of contractors.

If your project requires a Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor, Roger Cimbora of Professional Piping Services, Inc. is your go-to guy!





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Who is Professional Piping Services, Inc.

Just who is my client, Professional Piping Services, Inc., anyway?

Professional Piping Services, Inc. is a licensed Underground Utility Contractor located in Wesley Chapel, Florida.. (License Number CU-C055717)

PPSI, Inc. specializes in piping system cleaning and pipeline rehabilitation and have cleaned well over 20 million (20,000,000) feet of dirty, and therefore malfunctioning, piping, here in the U.S.A as well as Canada. PPSI, Inc. has been in business in Florida since 1985 servicing private industry, amusement parks, counties, cities, the military and large and small municipalities.

PPSI, Inc. specializes in the use of Poly Pigs. (Look at the whimsical images on their site!) They are not, however, limited to these. They'll work with engineers and utility personnel to diagnose the problems a pipeline is experiencing and suggest the best solutions.

Their founder, Roger M. Cimbora, Sr., has been in the business for decades! With this experience, he has led PPSI, Inc. to become the innovation leader in pipeline rehabilitation!

Here are some advantages offered by PPSI's service:

• Most systems can remain in service while being cleaned.
• Miles of pipe, including diameter changes, can be done in one session.
• In many application, inline valves can be navigated by the cleaning pig, even some butterfly valves.
• The site is always inspected and evaluated prior to service.
• Tracking and GPS re-mapping is possible.
• Clean pipes generally save energy!
• System prep generally causes very little disruption and system contents can be contained.
• Saves HUGE amounts of time and money that would have been spent excavating and replacing "bad" pipe that was only "bad" because it was dirty.

Professional Piping Services, Inc., to whom I've reffered as "PPSI, Inc" for brevity, is ready to help you keep your pipeline flowing at maximum capacity. Give them a call at  800-780-6098

What's the deal with Restricted Flow?

Probably the most obvious reason to have your pipes cleaned is when restricted flow has been noticed.

If the product carried by your pipes leaves any sludge or gunk behind, it builds up on the interior of the pipe and, before you know it, you’re trying to push a 36" pipe’s load through a 12" or less opening.

This is a severe problem for both Gravity flow systems and force flow systems. With a gravity system, you'll find a buildup and possibly a nasty overflow of your holding system. On a pumped system, the equipment will have to work harder, burn more fuel or electricity and possibly wear out faster.

To cut down on the strain on your equipment, and relieve some of the stress on your budget, have your industrial pipes professionally cleaned by an experienced Pipe Pigging Service like Professional Piping Service, Inc.

My client, Mr. Cimbora, has been in this industry for over 60 years! Gained the experience to recognize piping problems and implement the correct solution.

Let PPSI send a pig through your pipes!
(Learn what a pipe pig is, in my earlier posts.)

Pipe System Cleaning in Riverview Florida

Riverview Florida is growing fast! This influx of homes and businesses, off course, includes people and people need water, and lots of it.

Of course, a considerable portion of that water has to be carried away for treatment and re-use.

In other posts and other blogs, I've written about the importance of pre-commission cleaning of a new piping system. The new developments in the Riverview and Southshore area would be well advised to have their freshly lain pipes cleaned to ensure the a clean start for all their customers.

Storm water and wastewater pipes need to be prepared and maintained as well.

Parts of Riverview are aging and therefore have some aging pipes as well. Having some of that old piped pigged at this point could restore maximum flow and ensure the quality of the product in question. (Tap water).

Professional Piping Services, Incwww.professionalpiping.com/. has the knowledge, experience and equipment to ensure your project in RiverviewFlorida or Southshore is handled properly.

Factors to consider for cleaning potable water systems

Today I'm going to revisit a topic that has come up in the various places that I write about my client, Professional Piping Services Inc. That topic is the factors to consider when evaluating potable water systems for cleaning.

Potable Water Cleaning Process Factors

Depending on the individual situation, potable water pipe cleaning is often performed in 8 to 10 hour cycles, with the system disinfected and restored to potable use at the end of each shutdown period. The cleaning process provides for immediate restoration of service if the need should arise, as might be the case for fire protection. An important part of the cleaning process for potable water systems is advanced notification of all consumers with instructions on how to manage and work through this temporary disruption of service.

Quite a length of pipe can be cleaned very quickly, heavily influenced by the reliability of mapping of the piping system, the initial interior conditions and the size & age of pipe(s). It is not uncommon to clean a whole mile of pipe in one cycle. It is recommended, but not required, to begin cleaning the piping system on the supply side allowing water that has just been put through the costly treatment process is carried through clean pipes into the remaining system.

After a thorough cleaning, a potable water system should not be expected to become soiled again. Today's quality standards at water treatment facilities leave little to nothing to soil the interior of the piping system. On the other hand, allowing clean potable water to leave the plant and enter poorly maintained aging pipe that's already contaminated with lime, silt or other deposits presents an inferior product to the end users in homes, restaurants and other businesses.

A frequent side benefit of having your potable water system cleaned is that the mapping of the system will be updated with the accurate location of lost valves and mystery connections. Locations, diameters and other details can be recorded for later use.

My client, Professional Piping Services, Inc, is a Certified Underground Utility Contractor with License Number CU-C055717

Summary:

1. Provide advanced notification to all consumers
2. A section of the system may be offline for 8 to 10 hours
3. The system is restored to potable use at the end of each session
4. Accurate mapping influences the length of pipe processed in each session
5. Start at the source, whenever possible
6. This should be a once and done operation in modern potable systems, as modern standards prevent re-contamination.
7. There is a side benefit of having the system re-mapped, aiding in future maintenance and expansion projects.

Pre-commission Pigging

One might think it unnecessary to clean a brand new piping system, but think about the fact that cleaning the system prior to use will effectively remove debris, lost tools, wildlife, lumber and other things you wouldn't imagine could have made their way into your system during construction.

The initial pipe pigging will also answer the first question that would be asked if the new system isn't pumping correctly "Is there an obstruction in the pipes?"

Foreign objects are a threat to pump impellers, valve seats and other inline components. Pigging removes that threat.

Because the cleaning process removes the air from the system, it allows for an effective hydrostatic test.

Pigging wastes less water than traditional flush methods and avoids creating a lake of waste at the end of the system. We certainly don't need more cleanup tasks added to our routine!

For systems that require disinfection or other inline treatment, organic material, chlorine and other contaminants are removed from the system and the treatment process is ensured full contact with and saturation of the interior pipe surfaces and all the fittings.

The system gets a good test run, checking all the valves, confirming flow patterns, and allowing for tests of blow offs, drains, vacuum breakers, air releases, so that the operator will have confidence in their operation. Years of experience with a variety of systems has proven that this is not a light consideration.

For these reason, and more, plus the fact that it adds very little to the bottom line cost of the project, pre-commission pipe pigging is highly recommended.

Contact Professional Piping Service, Inc. for more details.

Certified Underground Utility Contractor

License Number CU-C055717

Another Look at Pipe Pigging

Another Look at Pipe Pigging

Although the technology of the hardware of pipeline pigs has been fairly static, the way they are put to use changes quickly.

Just running a poly pig through a pipe and declaring it "clean" is nonsense! When you send an inline inspection tool through the piping system, you expect that your your pig has reduced or eliminated lift off, allowing a more accurate result from magnetic flux leakage inspection. One also expects the pipeline's efficiency to be greatly improved after thorough pigging.

To get the best cleaning and ensure the system's peak condition, it is a must to enlist the services of a qualified pipeline-cleaning service company such as Professional Piping Services, Inc.

The first mechanical pigs were pretty rustic devices thrown together from bailed fabric and barbed wire. The have matured into today's polyurethane (PU or just "Poly") marvels. Each manufacturer will select their own types and ratios of pre-polymers and curing agents that combine to create the castable product with various foam densities, abrasion resistance, elasticities and other variables that impact effectiveness and durability in a given application.

What kinds of Pigs are available?

The kinds of pigs, and the applications they can be used for, are as varied as the piping industry itself. Generally, pigs are are made in sizes with a 1.5 length to diameter ratio. Keeping your bends, or ells, to a minimum of 1.5D is therefore important for them to be easily piggable. Tandem pigs can be used to navigate the tighter ells, if retrofitting an existing system is not an option.

In addition to Poly Foam or PU pigs, steel mandrel discs and cups can be used for certain applications.

The Polly foam types are generally made to match the Outside Diameter of the pipe and can navigate tight radius ells, miter bends, "T" intersections, multi-diameter piping systems and reduced port valves. Polly Foam Pigs sometimes incorporate wire strip brushes for more thorough cleaning, a nose pull rope to assist in propulsion, transmitter cavity to install varoius instruments, making it a smart pig, and other accessories as may be required.

When using an ILI, it may be required to provide data before the ILI tool is introduced into the system. This data can be captured using a caliper pig to identify welds, taps, valve, bends, wall thickness and more.

A smart pig was mentioned before, but let me explain. A smart pig (also know as Sherlock Pig) helps re-map the entire system. A pipeline's construction doesn't always match the original plan, so the documents may not provide an accurate picture of the final system. The smart pig can identify lost branches and valves, changes in diameter, and can even specify depth in earth or water.

There is much more to this topic than the author can address at this time. When you need help with your piping system, don't trust me, trust my client, Professional Piping Services, Inc.

The author of this article has referenced source(s) from the internet including an article from pgjonline.com. The client for whom this is written is much more knowledgeable about the topic than the author. Any inaccuracy or error should be attributed to the author, and not the Poly Pig Specialists themselves, or the referenced article(s).

Pipeline Pigging Considerations

Whether it be removing impurities, purging product from a pipe-train pr restoring flow, pipeline poly pigs, along with other pipe pigging systems are used.  The reason for pigging, the make and design of the system coupled with the conditions of the pipe all play a role in determining how to proceed.

Just like a plunger inside a syringe, product purging pigs need to fit tightly in their pipes. Pigging systems designed to remove inches or more of caked on debris can have different characteristics than those designed to remove loose sand and gravel. Pipes with an immense about of build up may need a succession of pigs, each with an increasing diameter, to thoroughly complete the job.

Anything that might lead the pig astray, such as obstructions like  valves or tree branches, or differences in pipe diameter,  must be accounted for and dealt with.

A system that has never been pigged before, or one that needs to be re-mapped before some other project, might use a radio transmitting smart pig called "Sherlock Pig".  Sherlock can be passed through the system to give a corrected view, showing any differences between reality and paper.

Led by General Manager  Roger M Cimbora, Sr., Professional Piping Services, Inc. has the experience and knowledge to select the right pigging system to get your system back to peak performance.