They are valves that were created to discharge condensation and vent air
without losing steam. Just like any mechanical item that uses various
mechanisms, over time you are going to have increased wear and tear. When this
happens you run into a common, yet real problem when your steam trap begins to
leak. When steam traps begin to leak
wasting energy, affecting production immensely, creating safety issues, and
raising your maintenance costs. In order to control a leaking steam trap, you
have to be very proactive before the leak gets out of control. Some of the most
common reasons for a steam trap leak are dirt, unplanned pressure surges, and
oversized traps. Following these few steps below will help in lessening your
chance for a leak.
1.
You want to develop a regular routine and maintenance on the steam trap. Keeping up the checks, and maintenance will find
problems before they become too massive. In this step also you are going to
want to map out and tag each of the steam traps to make sure
everything is being inspected.
2.
Periodically test your control valves. This is just another part of your
maintenance to make sure you are keeping your pressure levels down. Some motors
are unable to handle extremely high temperatures and will fail over time. Doing
this will help to make sure everything is staying regulated.
3.
Check the thickness of the piping. Over time the steam and condensate
will start to erode your pipes. If your thickness starts to get really low you
are going to have cracking, which you guessed it, can start a leak.
4.
Test your traps using temperature. The inlet and outlet are going to
have roughly a 10-degree difference. Performing this test will also tell you if
your equipment is capable of handling the overall capacity.
Performing these actions above are just a few items on a checklist that
can help maintain your steam trap, and hopefully,
prevent a problem before it’s too late.
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