# I have been doing some nuclear plumbing lately.



## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

It's been pretty interesting. I have waited entire days for operations to hang a card on a breaker so we could replace a backwater valve. Our last job was repiping 2" SV cast iron that was hanging in clevis hangers, but they used push gaskets! They also installed tees on their backs, instead of combos. This was in a hot area, there was no smearable radiation, but it was "fixed", because some pump's packing had leaked radioactive steam and it had penetrated the concrete pads. We didn't have to suit up, but had to use a hand held monitor to check our hands and feet every time we entered or left the roped off work area. A little different, it was a ***** to work off a platform and slam home spigots into gasketed hubs. But usually if I swung my purse hard enough, we could get them home.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

hey man , i just wanted to thank you for sharing your work in nuclear power plants, most of us will never get to see or work there, your a cool dude:thumbsup:


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Green,
it's a different breed of work. To change a backwater valve took 6 hours of work time and 12 hours of sitting and waiting. Everything has to be "like for like." I wanted to change the 2" SV to no-Hub, but that that is a change, which requires an engineering study and approval. It's actually cool and frustrating at the same time. The plant is the 1st commercial nuke plant in the world. Unit 1 is mothballed, and we got to walk thru some of it, it's like being in a movie. The nuts on the reactor head bolts are like 3' across. Security is a hassle. You have to take off all outer clothing and headgear. Put it thru the fluoroscope, then step in the explosives sniffer, which blows air onto you, and then measures it for explosives, then you go thru the metal detector. Then you wait for your escort. It's hard having to sit and do nothing for hours, then have to work. I have sat at the checkpoint for over two hours because they didn't have enough guards on duty. It all pays the same, though.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

jjbex said:


> The plant is the 1st commercial nuke plant in the world.


I Thought the first commercial nuke plant was Calder Hall in Sellafield, England...:whistling2:

They cranked that one up in 1956...


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I don't suppose any pics are a possibility? I would love to see the inside of that place.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

You can't take your cell phone in certain areas. You aren't supposed to take pics without permission. I don't have unescorted access anymore, so it's hard to take pics. I will take some that aren't easily recognizable/traceable when I go back to work on the water softeners. I really wish I could take pictures to show the enormous scale of these places. Most plumbers don't get the chance to work on these sites. Fitters, millwrights, carpenters, laborers, everybody but us plumbers. My boss just told me that I will be doing the plumbing on a new contractor support building. If that happens, I will be able to take a lot of pics.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Redwood said:


> I Thought the first commercial nuke plant was Calder Hall in Sellafield, England...:whistling2:
> 
> They cranked that one up in 1956...


Maybe I meant the first in the US, yeah, that's it! First in the US.


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## AKdaplumba (Jan 12, 2010)

Redwood said:


> I Thought the first commercial nuke plant was Calder Hall in Sellafield, England...:whistling2:
> 
> They cranked that one up in 1956...



ever heard of chernobyl?


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

AKdaplumba said:


> ever heard of chernobyl?


Not lately, the half life only has a couple hundred years to go.


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