Hello I walked in to a location where another sprinkler company was changing out heads. The guy removing heads was holding back the RC with an adjustable wrench and then spinning out the old head with a head wrench in an Impact Driver..... They were installing the new heads by hand. I did not quote the location for service work after I saw that.
Monday, March 31, 2014, 10:13:26 AM, you wrote: > Doesn't make a lot of sense. I have a wrench from the the standard old > style Grinnell head (c1896-1922 or so) that still works fine and only > engages the four tits on the base of the head. Not that I personally have > used it much but it certainly shows lots of use. I also have my original > Reliable wrench from the eighties (when I learned you weren't supposed to > use an adjustable wrench), the one that looks like an offset spanner with > the two ribs that slip into the valley on the proper boss on the base, and > works like new. I have all the early socket wrenches too and they're all > fine. Now granted that mine have less use than those of guys that have made > a career solely of fitting, but way more than six heads. > On Mon, Mar 31, 2014 at 5:49 AM, John Corcoran <[email protected]>wrote: >> When I started in the biz (Star Sprinkler, 1990s), we shipped heads with a >> thread sealant (Vibraseal was the trade name - sort of a burnt umber >> color). The stuff worked great installing the heads leak-free, but from all >> accounts was just a beast to remove. I know other manufacturers used the >> stuff before migrating to uncoated threads or charging a premium for >> pre-taping the threads with Teflon tape. >> Regardless if this describes your situation, I'm with Mr. Mote on using a >> standard wrench for removal, then using the manufacturer-designed wrench >> for installation. The manufacturer wrenches are designed to put heads into >> a pristine system while minimizing over-torqueing...not the same conditions >> you are facing taking them out of an existing system. >> I know using 2 wrenches is a pain, but it should save on wear and tear and >> speed up head removal. >> John Corcoran >> Globe Fire Sprinkler Corporation >> John Corcoran >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto: >> [email protected]] On Behalf Of Douglas Hicks >> Sent: Monday, March 31, 2014 1:28 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Sprinkler Wrenches >> We have a job replacing sprinkler heads. So I ordered the specified >> wrench, so we could change heads w/o damage to the new heads. My guys >> changed 6 heads before the wrench wore out. We have had the same problem >> with all the brands. What is the solution? The last wrench cost me >> $150.00, that is an additional cost of $25.00 per head. I have been >> thinking of having the welding shop build up the wrench with hard face >> powder and then having the machine shop mill the wrench to the right size. >> Any other options? >> _______________________________________________ >> Sprinklerforum mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org >> _______________________________________________ >> Sprinklerforum mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org -- Best regards, Charles Thurston mailto:[email protected] Systems Design Manager NICET Certified _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://lists.firesprinkler.org/listinfo.cgi/sprinklerforum-firesprinkler.org
