I would like to ask what are the typical characteristics of the water quality of condensate water under normal circumstances? What is the range for PH?

　　The water quality characteristics of condensate water are a low salt content and a relatively high temperature (usually between 30 and 100 degrees Celsius). Condensate water from medium-pressure boiler systems should not have any hardness; its quality is good, with a silica content of less than 15 ug/l and a sodium ion content of less than 20 ug/l. No specific requirements are imposed on the pH value, which is generally between 7.0 and 8.0　

It seems there are also requirements such as conductivity ≤ 1.50 μs/cm and ammonia content below 0.3 mg/L

According to the **established standards, there are no requirements regarding conductivity and ammonia content for condensate water.**

The water quality of condensate is characterized by almost no salt content, a high temperature (usually between 30 and 100 degrees Celsius), and a pH that is generally neutral. In steam heating systems, the recovery of condensate water from steam-using equipment is an important energy-saving measure. Typically, the heat contained in the condensed water discharged from steam-using equipment such as evaporators and dryers accounts for about 12% to 15% of the heat in the steam. By recovering this condensed water, it is possible to reclaim this heat, improving the efficiency of steam utilization and saving fuel. Since the temperature of the condensate water is higher than that of fresh boiler feedwater, using 100°C condensate water in place of 30°C boiler feedwater can save approximately 12% in fuel consumption. On the other hand, condensed water is high-quality boiler feed water; by reusing it in the boiler room, significant savings can be achieved in water treatment costs, and the heat loss due to waste emissions from the boiler can be reduced, thereby increasing the boiler’s thermal efficiency by 2% to 3%.

Condensate water is acidic due to the presence of carbonates, which are caused by a small amount of carbon dioxide in the steam. Most steam contains some carbon dioxide; only boiler water that has undergone special treatment is free from it. Additionally, if the system is exposed, there is also a small amount of dissolved oxygen. Of course, the high temperature further contributes to this acidity. This is why condensate pipes or hot water pipes are more susceptible to corrosion than ordinary cold water pipes – as temperature rises, corrosion accelerates, resulting in a shorter lifespan for these pipes.

I’ve learned it. If there is a requirement regarding the pH value of the water after condensate recovery, how should that be handled?

Due to the lack of alkalinity, the condensate should be weakly acidic in terms of pH, and thus somewhat corrosive. If the indicators of demineralized water are used as a reference, generally speaking, the iron content in steam condensate is relatively high, and its conductivity is slightly higher, around several tens ； Regarding other data indicators, the condensate water in the petrochemical industry may have excessive oil content, whereas there is no such issue with condensate water in power systems.