malfunctioning of steam traps

No matter what type of trap you have the function is to trap the steam in the line and let the condensate pass. If your getting steam thru ether the trap is bad or the type is improper.

Very difficult problem that can cost you a lot of money by both over and under maintaining. Try the Spirax Sarco website, specifically the link below, it is very good information for you.

http://www.spiraxsarco.com/resources/steam-engineering-tutorials/steam-traps-and-steam-trapping/testing-and-maintenance-of-steam-traps.asp

I have no idea if the swish electronic steam traps are any good, but, it has been my experience that thermodynamic steam traps, inverted bucket type steam traps etc., can be extremal troublesome and were a maintenance headache.

Dependant on the system, the drains could go to a drain cooler via steam traps; if you are getting excessive steam to the cooler, because of faulty traps, this raises your drain cooler temperature..........it could cause them to boil...........next thing sea water into drain cooler.............replace faulty tube(s) in drain cooler and repair faulty steam traps.

As I said these were the types of systems many years ago. whether they have improved or not..........I know not. I maybe wrong but the problems could still be there, having a quick glance at some steam traps on the web. Just make sure that regular checks are carried out on steam traps to ensure that they are working correctly.

The above two traps (Inverted Bucket and Float) gave the least trouble.

Superheated steam trap Disc type

Thermostatic Trap

Remember regular maintenance IS essential on ALL steam traps.

My experience with steam is primarily with heating, low pressure application. I do however hold a stationary eng. license. Two ways that I troubleshoot steam traps is by line temperature and sound. Inverted bucket traps have a distinct sound when opening and closing. FT traps also can be listened to. Amplifiers with headsets are available that have a probe that can be set on the trap and listen for steam rushing through. This tool is great for noisy facilities like manufacturing plants. The temperature method requires a thermometer, I like using a thermocouple because they react quickly. Read the temp of the condensate line a foot or two after the trap. The line temp on a leaking trap will be the live steam temp.

Hope this helps!

HI: One way to reduce the malfunctionin steam traps is to use one with no moving parts. Venturi traps have a lone life but are not off the shelf items as they must be designed into the process. http://www.anchorelite.com/SteamSpecialistHome.htm

I worked with this type trap in the Navy and now in various plants through out the USA.

Dean

Not sure of the terminology here, but I think when you mention venturi traps these would be what I know as fixed orifice traps. If this is correct then I can understand why the navy would well use them as they are very reliable, not having any moving parts.

The problem is that any steam trap has the function of passing hot condensate while not passing steam and it has to do this under varying condensate loads and varying pressures. A fixed orifice can not do this, it is undersized at startup and potentially then oversized during normal operation. If oversized during operation steam is wasted and if undersized during startup and or operation then the service life of the plant could well be reduced due to wet lines and or equipment.

There is no one best steam trap make or type, they must be selected for the system in which they will function and they must be monitored and maintained regularly.

If the trap is undersized you will loose heat capacity as condensate will back up and your traps will always be open. If they are too big youll have loss of steam each time they cycle youll give a little more away than you need to. If your head pressure in your condensate return header is too high, you will build and hold condensate under your low duty (low pressure cycles). This will reduce your overall heat capacity on the next batch/cycle during start up where heat duties are typically highest. During this start up you steam traps will not be able to pass all the condensate collected fast enough, and your heat up will be slowed. Oversize them to deal with this issue and youll loose steam.

Finding the leaky and malfunctioning traps is best done through ultrasonic leak detection as commented above or by feel if your experienced.

Good luck,,,,,

DamnEngineer

Steam traps indeed will fail. It's mechanical so it is their nature to do once. Most will on an open position not stop the process.

I have to support Dean from Anchorlite. Venturi or call it fxed orifice is a better way to deal with condensate/gas separation.

We do this now for 25 years with great succes. Of course it does look as they will be or over- or undersized and or not be able to remove all and even if capacity is sufficient they surely blow steam when low load. Not all like this. But to much to explain here. Feel free to check our Steamloc website www.steamloc.org

If you shoot me a mail, I would be glad to explain a bit more.

succes - Marc