How do I know if my steam trap is failing?
Excess Steam Discharge (Stuck Open) With the valve open, hot steam discharges continually. More than likely dirt has accumulated on the valve seat or the trap bellows has failed. You can detect this by sound but, due to the trap being hot (it’s passing steam), it also means the system is not heating properly.
Do you need a check valve after a steam trap?
Check valves are necessary if there is a risk of condensate backflow. For example, when a trap discharges into a common condensate collection line, there is the potential risk of backflow from condensate discharged from other traps, so as a rule a check valve should be installed.
What is ball float steam trap?
Ball float steam trap is a kind of mechanical steam trap which rely on on the difference in density between steam and condensate in order to operate. These steam traps can continuously pass large volumes of condensate and are suitable for a wide range of process applications.
How should a steam trap sound?
Condensate should usually be flowing through a trap, and the sound should have a lower pitch. So, if this sound changes and appears much closer to a higher pitched sound like that of steam flow, then the trap may have a large amount of flash steam or may be leaking live steam and should be inspected further.
How hot should a steam trap be?
Determining whether the steam trap station is operational For example, in Figure 2, the temperature on the steam line entering the process is 299°F; therefore, the steam trap body temperature should be at or close to the inlet temperature. This is a true statement for 96% of the steam process applications.
What happens when a steam trap fails open?
When a steam trap fails open, it simply acts like an open valve and hence, a lot of steam would leak through it. As a result, the overall steam consumption of the plant will go up, reducing the efficiency of the operation.
What is the pressure after steam trap?
After steam trap, each meter of elevation of the pipeline equals 0,11 barg back pressure.
How does a steam trap work?
Mechanical steam traps operate by gravity. Specifically, the difference between the water and steam causes a stainless steel float ball to rise and sink within the trap, which opens and closes the valve.
How do you test a steam trap?
Various tools can be used to test steam traps using temperature, sound, or a combination of both. Inspecting a trap by measuring temperature alone requires that the temperature probe be placed specifically on the inlet side of the trap, not the outlet side. Testing Temperature – Inlet or Outlet?
What is a ball float steam trap?
Ball float steam traps remove condensate from steam, cold condensate, or distillates. These steam traps use a tried-and-tested, low-friction rolling ball seal.
What is a steam trap?
Steam traps are automatic valves designed to discharge condensate (and vent air) without losing steam. And like all mechanical devices, they are subject to wear that will eventually require maintenance to restore to manufacturer specifications and prevent:
What is a fool proof steam trap testing device?
The unreliability of the above methods has prompted the development of an integrated and fool proof steam trap testing device. This consists of a sensor, fitted inside the steam trap, which is capable of detecting the physical state of the medium at that point by conductivity (Figure 11.14.1).