# Victaulic ductile iron



## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Anybody ever ran ductile iron with Victaulic fittings?


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## reedplumber (Sep 25, 2012)

Once or twice

sent from a rotary phone


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

reedplumber said:


> Once or twice
> 
> sent from a rotary phone


How did you like it? From what I understand its a relatively new concept. We're running it to hook up some 6" double check valves and prv's.


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## reedplumber (Sep 25, 2012)

As long as you have a good understanding of the grooving tool you will be good. It's probably the easiest install you will ever do. Groove the pipe at the set depth in from the end but the two pieces together install the gasket over the ends of the pipe, top and bottom halves of the clamp and viola. I don't know what the specific torque spec is for 6" if there even is one but an impact or ratchet will make quick work of it, we did a chiller job on a big geo unit all the hookups were 6". The only thing I found was that sometimes specialized 6" fittings were hard to come by and two to three weeks out from victaulic, we actually were working where they had a full machine shop and they actually just manufactured what we needed thank goodness

sent from a rotary phone


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## UA22PLumber (Sep 17, 2012)

Every piece of ductile I've ever touched had a "texture"..sorta dimply feeling to it.The gaskets seal on that suface?


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Are you questioning using ductile or grooving in general? I've never grooved ductile so dont no much about it but done plenty of steel. Some guys/ gals get it quicker than others (some never). 
Practice with scrap pieces. If you need 17ft pcs, practice a few times with a full stick. Be patient and it will come to you. For me, the bigger the pipe the easier. Hope it goes well for ya!


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

89plumbum said:


> Are you questioning using ductile or grooving in general? I've never grooved ductile so dont no much about it but done plenty of steel. Some guys/ gals get it quicker than others (some never).
> Practice with scrap pieces. If you need 17ft pcs, practice a few times with a full stick. Be patient and it will come to you. For me, the bigger the pipe the easier. Hope it goes well for ya!


I've grooved a lot of steel pipe myself. But from what I understand when your grooving ductile iron it cuts the groove into the pipe instead of putting the groove in with pressure. The representative is coming tomorrow to show us how to use the machine. I'll snap some pictures


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

stupid helper said:


> I've grooved a lot of steel pipe myself. But from what I understand when your grooving ductile iron it cuts the groove into the pipe instead of putting the groove in with pressure. The representative is coming tomorrow to show us how to use the machine. I'll snap some pictures


Makes sense... Ive used cut groove vs. roll groove on heavy wall... I would think trying to roll ductile would be like trying to roll CI...

:no:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

My question would be what is this ductile being used for that it would need to be Victed in the first place?


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> My question would be what is this ductile being used for that it would need to be Victed in the first place?


It's the main water for a water treatment plant.. it's the main feed for the fire line as well.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

stupid helper said:


> It's the main water for a water treatment plant.. it's the main feed for the fire line as well.


I didn't look at the Vict. site, do they make vict. ductile fittings? I've never seen it used on ductile.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> I didn't look at the Vict. site, do they make vict. ductile fittings? I've never seen it used on ductile.


I've never seen it used before now either..I just learned today how to use the machine.. tomorrow I'll snap some pictures of the grooving machine and the ductile fittings


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

stupid helper said:


> I've never seen it used before now either..I just learned today how to use the machine.. tomorrow I'll snap some pictures of the grooving machine and the ductile fittings


Be sure and take some pictures where you turn up from underground. It will be interesting to see how it is protected against thrust, rodded etc.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> Be sure and take some pictures where you turn up from underground. It will be interesting to see how it is protected against thrust, rodded etc.


Were already stubbed out of the slab. We went mechanical fittings under ground. We're hooking up to some double check valves and prv's now


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

stupid helper said:


> Were already stubbed out of the slab. We went mechanical fittings under ground. We're hooking up to some double check valves and prv's now


How much ductile above ground, surely not all of it?


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> How much ductile above ground, surely not all of it?


Probably 8' of 6" and 50' of 4".. then we are going to 3" copper..I'll snap some pictures of the machine tomorrow and then before and after pics of the work. We're starting on Monday.. We work 4 10's so we didn't want to get started on a Thursday


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

Pics would be good, a short video even better.:yes:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

stupid helper said:


> Probably 8' of 6" and 50' of 4".. then we are going to 3" copper..I'll snap some pictures of the machine tomorrow and then before and after pics of the work. We're starting on Monday.. We work 4 10's so we didn't want to get started on a Thursday


Do you know why ductile, is it that much cheaper than steel? or that was just what was spec.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> Do you know why ductile, is it that much cheaper than steel? or that was just what was spec.


It was spec.. It's in a chemical feed room so I think they wanted something ridgid


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

^^^

I was wondering about the corrosion resistance properties... Did I read this was for chilled water? Inhibitors?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I assume this is in a WWTP?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

U666A said:


> ^^^
> 
> I was wondering about the corrosion resistance properties... Did I read this was for chilled water? Inhibitors?


Sounds like he said make-up and FP.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

U666A said:


> ^^^
> 
> I was wondering about the corrosion resistance properties... Did I read this was for chilled water? Inhibitors?


This is a WWTP. And it is the cold water and FP. We're not running the sprinkler pipe we are only tying it in..they had to run stainless steel sprinkler pipe.. Everything has to be stainless on this job.. Except our copper and ductile pipe. ( stainless nut, washers, unistrut, rod, hangers, duct work, conduit) it's hell on a band saw lol


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

stupid helper said:


> This is a WWTP. And it is the cold water and FP. We're not running the sprinkler pipe we are only tying it in..they had to run stainless steel sprinkler pipe.. Everything has to be stainless on this job.. Except our copper and ductile pipe. ( stainless nut, washers, unistrut, rod, hangers, duct work, conduit) it's hell on a band saw lol


Prolly a lot of corrosive gases floating in the air.


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## red_devil (Mar 23, 2011)

Fun stuff to work with. My best advice is DO NOT forget the chain falls or lift whatever your using. Our machine is old and takes a while to cut a grove but it works well.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

red_devil said:


> Fun stuff to work with. My best advice is DO NOT forget the chain falls or lift whatever your using. Our machine is old and takes a while to cut a grove but it works well.


Yeah it took while to cut and groove it but I think after I get the hang of it I can have it cut and grooved in 15-20 min. It's a simple machine that I think will work very well


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)




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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Nice pictures, you need to change your username.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

SlickRick said:


> Nice pictures, you need to change your username.


I may.. we were at work and I told my boss I wanted to do something this way instead of the way he told me to do it.. and he said in a joking way " I'll be damned if I have some stupid helper telling me how to run pipe!! I've Been doing this 30 years!!" So know it's just kind of a inside joke.. I'm no dummy lol


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

stupid helper said:


> This is a WWTP. And it is the cold water and FP. We're not running the sprinkler pipe we are only tying it in..they had to run stainless steel sprinkler pipe.. Everything has to be stainless on this job.. Except our copper and ductile pipe. ( stainless nut, washers, unistrut, rod, hangers, duct work, conduit) it's hell on a band saw lol


All stainless is hell on someone's check book. lol:yes:


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## Fast fry (May 19, 2012)

Yes I have groved ductile in the Kelowna general hospital in bc. You need to pin the 300 to the ground and be patient with the process.


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Been working like hell today


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

stupid helper said:


> Been working like hell today


I like those wood supports ...


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

OldSchool said:


> I like those wood supports ...


Getting more stands welded up tomorrow


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Getting closer to finishing.. Still have to tie in the 3" copper but were cutting the water on tomorrow


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Nice work! Never grooved ductile but it looks interesting! Do the glands seal OK against the rough surface of the ductile?


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

deerslayer said:


> Nice work! Never grooved ductile but it looks interesting! Do the glands seal OK against the rough surface of the ductile?


Yea it works really well.. We put water on part of the system today to flush the line out for the sprinkler guys and didn't have any leaks.. It takes about 25-30 minutes to cut and groove the pipe but you save a lot of time putting it together


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Butterfly valves are pretty useless....


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Airgap said:


> Butterfly valves are pretty useless....


What would you put in? A gate valve?


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Airgap said:


> Butterfly valves are pretty useless....


This... ^^^


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

stupid helper said:


> What would you put in? A gate valve?


That would be fine. Butterflies are cheap for the contractor, but they almost never shut completely....


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

U666A said:


> This... ^^^


I'd put a butterfly valve in before a gate valve any day.. Unless of course I wanted to have to come fix it later on down the road


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Work looks good though....


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

stupid helper said:


> I'd put a butterfly valve in before a gate valve any day.. Unless of course I wanted to have to come fix it later on down the road


Brand new butterfly valves usually leak, at least you know what to expect!


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

stupid helper said:


> I'd put a butterfly valve in before a gate valve any day.. Unless of course I wanted to have to come fix it later on down the road


Exactly....:laughing:


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Airgap said:


> That would be fine. Butterflies are cheap for the contractor, but they almost never shut completely....


A gate valve is way more prone to screwing up.. Idk what kind of butterfly valves your using but you need to change them


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Airgap said:


> Work looks good though....


Thank you


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

stupid helper said:


> A gate valve is way more prone to screwing up.. Idk what kind of butterfly valves your using but you need to change them


Thanks for the tip....


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

stupid helper said:


> A gate valve is way more prone to screwing up.. Idk what kind of butterfly valves your using but you need to change them


 if a gate valve is put in sideways it keeps the trash in the line from stopping the gate from closing all the way.:yes:


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## union brother 1 (Feb 25, 2012)

Looks good, i never grooved d.i ,its iron after all and wall thickness and surface texture, would make me question seals. Interesting thou.. I just put a double d check. This past week. I might have a pic


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

union brother 1 said:


> Looks good, i never grooved d.i ,its iron after all and wall thickness and surface texture, would make me question seals. Interesting thou.. I just put a double d check. This past week. I might have a pic


I was curious about how it would work out but we got the water cut on to the building yesterday and didn't have any leaks.. Its a lot faster then bolting the flanges together too


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## union brother 1 (Feb 25, 2012)

I had to bolt..but its all vic after


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Is that backflow device in a pit or something? Because I see that valve stem extension shaft.

Sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## stupid helper (Sep 30, 2012)

Mississippiplum said:


> Is that backflow device in a pit or something? Because I see that valve stem extension shaft.
> 
> Sent from the jobsite porta-potty


I'd guess basement.. Don't see brick or conduit in many pits


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## union brother 1 (Feb 25, 2012)

stupid helper said:


> I'd guess basement.. Don't see brick or conduit in many pits


its in the basement, (meter room) of a very old building
And that extension is the curve valve ( street shutoff )


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