Steam Piping

Brad White_200

there is a full-port ball valve to blow down the strainer and the strainer size is large enough to not impose much of a pressure drop, I think it is a good idea. It also gives a good drain-down location.

I would also provide isolation and hose-end valves to allow selective flushing, but that is another matter. Regardless though, an upstream isolation valve and hose-end valve will allow you to do a power flush and blow out any debris caught.

Now, the alternate opinion I have received from plant operators is that strainers can be problems more than solutions, because "that is what mud drums are for. Why create a potential to slow down your condensate and impose waterline surging on your system?", is what they say.

Fair enough, but to me, allowing collection of what comes down the piping under my terms seems a good policy to me. If there is that much crud coming down, you have bigger problems elsewhere.

My $0.02

Brad

Charlie Taylor

Strainer in Condensate Return ?

Steam System--I see a Y strainer typically installed on the inlet side of a condensate pump--to keep debris out of the pump. Don't recall ever seeing anything about using a strainer in the wet condensate piping of a gravity system without a pump.
Question came to me.....Would there be any benefits to installing a strainer in the condensate return piping ,just before it enters the Hartford loop ??

Charlie Taylor

Strainer in Condensate Return ?

Brad,

Thanks for your followup with opinion & info.

Preventing any condensate crud from entering the boiler water sounds like it could only help keep the boiler running cleaner-----But might be more trouble than it's worth if you end up slowing down the returning condensate flow too much by letting the strainer clog up !!



Charlie