Steam Boiler Check Valve
Steam Boiler Check Valve
(OP)
We have six 9.5 bhp 80# steam boilers tied to a common 10"dia. header. Each boiler has a check valve and shutoff on the steam supply line between the boiler and overhead header (header is only 4 ft up and 2ft over). Is there a potential for condensate accummulation on an idle boiler downstream of the checkvalve? If so, will there be a problem when the idle boiler fires and finally lifts the check valve and condensate column?





RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
Good observation of the piping configuration. There will be condensate that accumulates in low pockets and dead legs of steam piping. Either add a small drain valve with or without a steam trap at each low point, or provide some administrative control to slowly bleed steam through a small bypass valve for warmup of a steam line before opening the boiler's main shutoff valve.
RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
If your steam pressure is 80psi gauge then specific volume of steam is 4.66694cu.ft/lb and with a very conservative line size of 2" for a 9.5bhp boiler, the steam accumulation will be around 0.00467lb/running foot of pipe after check valve. This will be around 2.1 grams of condensate/linear foot of piping.
Regards,
RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
RE: Steam Boiler Check Valve
some to drain to the header and some back to the boiler.
ER