Question: What are the functions of the small holes on top and bottom of the steam trap?

The small hole on top of the drain valve is for air to enter the float tank, while the one below is for water to enter and exit. I’m not sure what the structure is in your photo; I think what you’re referring to might be these two holes. You can take a look at how they work to figure it out.

The small hole on top of the drain valve is for air to enter the float tank, while the one below is for water to enter and exit. I’m not sure what the structure is in your photo; I think what you’re referring to might be these two holes. You can take a look at how they work to figure it out.

Refer to the action process described in this image to understand the working principle of the steam trap!

:)I’ve studied it~~ It seems that the structure of the drain valve is quite simple

Exhaust and drainage, plus balance

This post was last edited by Watt Energy Saving on 2020-1-10 at 17:58. These are the vent and drain holes of the free-floating ball hydrostatic valve. Steam technology engineers from Watt Energy Saving discovered on site that the actual performance of the freely floating ball steam traps was extremely poor, with almost 70% of the traps not functioning properly. Analysis shows that the primary cause of problems with free-floating ball steam traps is the inability to ensure manufacturing quality. As the valve core, hollow floating balls require high precision in terms of roundness and diameter, as well as high surface accuracy. Their wear resistance, surface hardness, and ability to resist dirt are also important factors. In fact, free-floating ball steam traps demand even higher standards, and simple imitation is the root cause of the low cost and poor quality of such steam traps. In fact, Watt Company’s 40 years of experience in the manufacturing and application of steam traps show that free-floating ball steam traps place higher demands on material quality, processing, heat treatment, as well as supplier management. Without suppliers with high-quality manufacturing capabilities and a favorable operating environment, free-floating ball hydrostatic valves are essentially a poor choice. Steam technology engineers from Watt Energy Saving found on site that almost no freely floating ball-type steam traps are equipped with thermostatic drain valves, which makes it very easy for these traps to become air-locked; as a result, operators are required to open the bypass valves of the steam traps periodically, an approach that is highly unreliable. As the valve core, the hollow float ball is prone to a loss of precision due to any shocks or impacts during assembly, transportation, loading/unloading, installation, and use, which can result in leakage in the check valve. We believe that the current on-site use of free-floating balls is almost identical to the market situation for thermodynamic disc-type steam traps 20 years ago, with the simplest designs leading to shoddy production at the lowest cost. Any compromise in the selection of steam traps means waste of steam and reduced thermal efficiency. Lack of knowledge is a major reason for failed on-site selections; visit Watt’s official website to learn more about drain valves.