Pumps & Conveying System Components Chapter 3: Installation 24
• Cut tube ends square and chamfer edges smooth. Use a fixed band saw or power miter
saw when making cuts. You can use a tubing cutter on aluminum tubing, but you need
to use a saw with a carbide or diamond-impregnated saw blade when cutting stainless
steel. Chamfer outer and inner edge cuts with a die grinder or a hardened rasp file.
• Clean all tubing after cutting and before assembly. Dampen a rag in a non-volatile
cleaning solvent, and run it through all tubing and couplers to remove sediment from
shipping or cutting. Run a quantity of low-grade material through new lines to remove
any remaining sediment, then discard the material immediately.
• Tube ends must butt together inside couplers.
• Tighten tube coupler nuts from the center outward to ensure a tight seal and allow
proper contact of the internal grounding strip.
• Each material tubing run must maintain an electrical continuity through the tubing and
couplers, from pickup point to vacuum hopper. Grounded flexible hose is
recommended.
• If you must cut bends, cut the straight section, leaving enough straight length for
complete insertion into a coupler.
• You can attach a quick-change or standard tube coupler to vinyl flex hose by inserting
a stub of hard tube into the hose and securing it with a hose clamp. Be sure enough
tube extends from the hose to properly install the quick-change or coupler. Make sure
that you put clear silicone caulk around adjoining tube seams for exterior bolted
couplers.
• If you use stainless flexible material hose, the material flow must be in the direction as
indicated by the arrows on the hose. Material direction is not critical with vinyl flex
hose.
• Bring all truck fill lines to a central location, such as a silo, unless otherwise specified.
• All rail car manifold Y-tubes must be installed with a ten-degree (10º) downward slant
from horizontal on the leg section. Make sure that space between rail car manifold
Y-tubes are fifteen feet (15’/4.5 meters) on center to allow proper alignment between
rail car discharge ports and the manifold Y-tubes.
• A plug must be put in the last sequence T valve on the vacuum header to prevent
vacuum loss. If atmospheric valves are used, you must terminate the vacuum line at the
last atmospheric valve.
Multiple Line System Piping Considerations
