How to ensure corrosion protection for decommissioned heat tracing stations
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The two types of heat tracing stations for the equipment – steam heat tracing and hot water heat tracing – were shut down the day before yesterday. They simply closed the main steam valve, the main condensate valve, and the main hot water valve; the water remaining inside was not drained, as they claimed this would prevent corrosion. Are they right? Furthermore, the weather this month may not be stable; what if it suddenly turns cold enough to drop below zero degrees, causing the water in the pipes to freeze and thus break them?
In my company, similar situations are handled by draining all the condensate water. In the past, ice formed inside the pipelines due to this condensate, which resulted in the need to replace entire pipelines – a significant waste of time and resources. I’ve never heard of any method that can prevent corrosion in such cases.
It is a matter of the managers’ sense of responsibility; of course, there are unforeseen circumstances as well. The water must be drained, and the area should be dried with nitrogen to maintain pressure and prevent corrosion and freezing.