Steam Tip 1: Inspect and Repair Steam Traps

In steam systems that have not been maintained for 3 to 5 years, between 15% to 30% of the installed steam traps may have failed—thus allowing live steam to escape into the condensate return system. In systems with a regularly scheduled maintenance program, leaking traps should account for less than 5% of the trap population. If your steam distribution system includes more than 500 traps, a steam trap survey will probably reveal significant steam losses. Example: In a plant where the value of steam is $10.00 per thousand pounds ($10.00/1,000 lb), an inspection program indicates that a trap on a 150-pound-per-square-inchgauge (psig) steam line is stuck open. The trap orifice is 1/8th inch in diameter. The table shows the estimated steam loss as 75.8 pounds per hour (lb/hr). After the failed trap is repaired, annual savings are: Annual Savings = 75.8 lb/hr x 8,760 hr/yr x $10.00/1,000 lb = $6,640 Download this “Inspect and Repair Steam Traps” tip sheet from the Department of Energy for more information. Steam Trap Steam Loss Chart This tip is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and originally published by the Industrial Energy Extension Service of Georgia Tech.
Steam Tip 1: Inspect and Repair Steam Traps