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The energy-saving potential of steam traps coexists with energy waste. With a hydroseparator, how much energy can be saved or how much energy can be wasted. This series of articles will introduce, in sequence, the characteristics, types, fault detection methods of traps, as well as calculation charts for steam loss in traps. (Keywords) Steam traps, hydrophobics, steam loss. It is well known that generating steam in boilers requires energy. Saving steam means saving energy. Apart from a small portion that is used directly in the production process, most of the steam generated by the boiler is utilized for its latent heat. Steam releases latent heat during transportation and indirect heating, and condensed water is formed after this latent heat is released. Steam carrying water not only poses a surge risk in steam transmission but also severely affects the heat exchange efficiency of end-users. Effectively and continuously removing condensate from the system serves two purposes: one is to eliminate the condensation water formed due to heat loss during steam transmission, thereby preventing water hammer ； The second purpose is to supply dry saturated steam to heat users, ensuring the heat carried by the steam ； Third, the condensate generated by the surface heat exchanger must be removed promptly to ensure the heat exchange space within the exchanger as well as its efficiency. A steam trap is a type of thermal device that functions by immediately removing any condensate that forms, preventing steam from escaping, and eliminating air and other non-condensable gases. All thermal workers are aware of the function of steam traps. But not every thermal engineer is aware of the amount of steam wasted by air separators with poor quality or that are already damaged. Through extensive research and investigation, Japan’s TLV company has determined the calculation curve for the amount of steam wasted by steam traps. Taking a disc-type trap as an example, if such a trap leaks steam at a pressure of 0.5 Pa, it is equivalent to a leak through a hole with a diameter of 3 mm. If it operates for 8 hours per day, 56 tons of steam will be lost in one year; if it operates for 24 hours per day, 168 tons of steam will be lost in one year. If 140 kg of coal (or 70 kg of fuel oil) is required to produce one ton of steam, then the failure of a disc-type steam trap results in a loss of 23.5 tons of coal (or 11.8 tons of fuel oil) per year (assuming 24 hours per day). Think about it: if one trap results in such a large loss of fuel, how much fuel will 100 or 1,000 traps lose? And how much fuel will a factory or an entire industry lose? The chemical industry is a major user of steam among industrial sectors; in 1997, its total energy consumption amounted to 125 million tons of standard coal, accounting for around 9% of the country’s total energy consumption. Within the total energy consumption, the energy used for boiler fuel accounts for the vast majority of it. In chemical enterprises, thousands upon thousands of traps are used in heating systems. These trap products come from various manufacturers, and their quality varies; the management of these traps differs as well, and the level of maintenance provided is not consistent. In your workshops and factories, how many traps are there, and do you know how well they are functioning? Have you calculated how much energy can be saved—or wasted—just by using these traps?