Routing of Hot Drain Pipes

Use pressure powered pump traps or electrically pumped condensate skids to lift condensate. Do not try to "lift" condensate. Water hammer, heat exchanger flooding/fouling will occur. See Spirax Sarco or Armstrong web sites for discussions concerning the problems with lifting condensate.

Yes you can do this as long as you don't drop it to the point that the head pressure is greater than the pressure of its contents. The condensate should have nearly the same pressure as the steam it is derived from so in most cases it should be enough to push the water over any loop you make by dropping the valves down to a convenient level. We have many miles of condensate piping and only a couple of condensate pumps for the areas where the pressure is not enough to push it over any high points in the lines.