How to deal with a clogged steam trap
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In the newly put into operation steam pipeline, the drain valve is blocked and cannot drain water in a timely manner. How can the valve be cleared without shutting down the system? Thank you all
Turn off the shut-off valve and open the bypass slightly to ensure gas can flow out; it’s best to carry out repairs as soon as possible. This approach can be used for a short period of time
A primary valve is usually installed at the front end of the steam trap, along with a bypass line. When the steam trap becomes clogged, the primary valve is closed and the bypass valve is slightly opened to allow condensate and a small amount of steam to flow out; thereafter, the valve is cleared as soon as possible to restore its normal operation.
There’s no other choice; clean the valve before the drain valve
Clogging of steam traps is a common problem in chemical production. Solution: Enable bypass and remove the service drain valve.
Our facility does not have a bypass valve at the steam trap, but it has inlet and outlet stop valves that allow it to be isolated from the system. Generally, it takes about 10 minutes to clean a steam trap, and the impact on the system is not significant!
I would like to add that a better filter should be installed in front of the steam trap, so that large particles of debris won’t get into the steam trap. The smaller debris that passes through the filter should also be removed by the steam trap. Hehe, I work on steam trap manufacturing