Just finished a 3-inch boiler tube replacement in a tight spot at the old Miller plant

Honestly, I was dreading it because the access was so bad, but I used a trick an old timer showed me with a piece of conduit to guide the new tube in. Ngl, it slid in perfect on the first try, which never happens. Anyone else have a go-to trick for feeding tubes in a cramped boiler section?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilys8221d ago

I used to think you just had to muscle tubes into place. Then I saw a guy use a piece of old garden hose split down the middle as a guide. It protects the tube and lets you slide it around corners without binding. I keep a section in my kit now.

the_dylan21d ago

Yeah, that hose trick is a total game changer for tight spaces. I read an old manual that called it a "soft chute" for feeding lines through frames. Makes you wonder what other simple fixes we've lost over the years.

patjones19d agoMost Upvoted

Heard of using a plastic bottle cut into a sleeve? Read about it in a trade forum for getting tubes past sharp edges. You cut the bottom off a two liter and slit it lengthwise. It acts like a cheap, slick guard so the tube coating doesn't scrape off.