A flex pipe is a kind of metal bellows. It’s a flexible piece of pipe that creates some flexibility within the generator exhaust system. It basically acts as an exhaust pipe connector. They are typically made out of forged or stainless steel. What are the signs of a flex pipe exhaust leak?
What are the signs of a flex pipe exhaust leak?
It’s not always easy to notice a flex pipe exhaust leak or even when it starts to break down in the first place. Here are some tell-tale signs that your exhaust flex pipe is leaking.
- Loud noises: One of the first signs of an exhaust leak is a loud noise. If there’s a crack in your flex pipe, it will cause an excessively noisy engine. Your pipe might be producing a hissing or tapping sound that can get louder when the generator speed is increased.
- Bad smells: If you smell gas when your generator is running, you probably have an exhaust leak. Dangerous fumes can find their way to the engine room when you have a flex pipe exhaust leak, giving off the smell of diesel fuel.
- Decreased power and efficiency: Engine performance issues, like decreased power during acceleration or fuel efficiency, are another important indicator. If you notice either of these issues, you have a potential leak in your exhaust system. This is due to a loss of backpressure from the leak.
- Hanging exhaust pipe: Obviously, if your exhaust pipe is hanging, you have an exhaust problem. There might have been a crack (causing a leak) that got larger, causing part of your pipe to drag or hang from the vehicle.
If you notice any of these signs, you may have a flex pipe exhaust leak. It’s extremely important to replace your flex pipe because a broken one can cause serious harm to personnel in the generator engine room.
Should you find your metal bellows need replaced, simply head on over to our catalog page to scope out our complete selection of custom metal expansion joints, pipe expansion joints, and more.
