Description of the Service Call from the client: We have an underground steam leak. It is obvious due to the steam billowing out of the ground and from underground vents along with large patches of burned up grass.
Discovery phase: Senior Service was called to handle the situation. Upon arrival at the site, he discovered that the concrete manhole entryways of the underground tunnel were almost full of water that at 197 degrees was not far from boiling. At about 10’ in depth, that was a lot of hot water!
The entryways serve the underground tunnel which carries several mains, including the steam main, from the plant to the main hospital and one other building. There was no way to assess what was leaking, or to know what materials it will take to repair the leak.
Preparing: To prep for the unknown repair, serious planning and coordination took place ahead of time. First order of business was to create a safety plan. This included finding a way to cool the manholes enough to enter, monitors for oxygen and rescue plan via a retractable. Next up was trying to imagine and pull material for whatever they would find once in the manhole. Talk about a shot in the dark.
Game Night: The team arrived at the site several hours early to verify that the hospital had pumped the extremely hot water out the tank and to get the fans circulating air in the manholes. Once the steam valves were closed off the team entered the manholes. They were monitored and supported by senior service techs and the safety team. Though a multitude of issues were discovered, the immediate culprit was a ½” check valve. Standing on scrap wood to prevent his feet from burning up, he was still able to make the repair.
The repair was a tremendous success thanks to extreme planning and coordination across the whole company!
