Your machinery and equipment is essential to your ability to do your job, and any faults or failures in that equipment can be at best a serious inconvenience and disruption to your workflow, and at worst can throw you and your team members into a tailspin trying to repair the problem and keep up with your normal schedule. One of the most dreaded equipment malfunctions is failing steam traps, which can have many different causes and be the source of endless problems for your equipment and your business. Luckily, failing steam traps are easy to detect, repair, and even prevent with the help of ultrasonic testing from DST!

Why Are Steam Trap Failures So Bad?

A steam trap is a valve on a piping system or piece of equipment that allows condensate ( or liquid), air, and other non-condensable gasses to exit the steam system while the steam itself actually stays trapped inside the system. It allows the steam system to get the most possible use and efficiency out of the heat and pressure of the steam. When a steam trap fails, it stops the entire steam system from working properly and decreases its efficiency. It’s a waste of energy, can cause production problems and decreases, and the issue won’t resolve unless the steam trap is repaired, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process that disrupts your workflow. It’s something that anyone who uses a steam-run system tries very hard to avoid!

What Causes Steam Trap Failures?

There are several different things that can cause a steam trap to fail, with contaminants being one of the most common. Dirt and other substances build up in the steam and consequently in the steam trap over time, and can cause blockages, plugs, or leaks that prevent the trap from functioning properly. Water-hammer or hydraulic shock, a problem that occurs due to sharp pressure surges or changes from sudden steam valve openings, faulty pipework, or trap misapplications, can also cause a steam trap to fail. Outdated or incorrect types of valves and traps throughout the steam system can also result in steam trap failures.

How to Detect Steam Trap Failures with DST

Steam, although it is technically a gas, is a fluid substance. This technical term doesn’t equate it to being a liquid, just a form of matter that flows, and like almost all fluid substances, the flow of steam makes a noise that can be detected by the ultrasound devices of DST, whether or not the sound can be picked up by human ears. Ultrasound technology is the gold standard testing method when it comes to steam traps. These sophisticated systems can pick up the sounds of the trap opening and closing that indicate it’s working properly, the silence that would indicate a trap that’s stuck closed, the turbulent rushing of steam that would indicate a trap that’s stuck open, and the fluttering of a trap that is opening and closing improperly. With the help of DST’s advanced technology, a trained technician can analyze the sounds of your machinery to not only identify a failed steam trap that needs to be fixed or replaced, but to predict a steam trap that is at risk of failing in the future so that you can avoid the problem altogether!

With the power of Discovery Sound Technology, the fear of a failing steam trap decreasing your efficiency and functionality doesn’t have to hang over your head. If you’re interested in learning more, you can learn about the benefits of DST here, or contact us for more information!