The case of the banging steam pipes This Fridays case

RayWohlfarth

I figured everyone is burned out after Independence Day and wanted to share one that you may find easy. I didnt catch it my first time through. We serviced the boiler a brewery and it was a new customer. The customer told me his system banged and he thought it was normal. Fifteen minutes after the boiler started, I heard the banging

retiredguy

I have never seen traps constructed that way but I am going to guess that they are installed up side down.

dko

On the top line I see an elbow going up instead of down downstream of the trap setup, but there's a pipe in the way so can't really see if it's connected. Assuming it is..

EBEBRATT-Ed

@retiredguy those are "inline traps" and are used quite often although they seem to have less capacity for a given pipe size than regular traps. Just easier to pipe I guess.

@RayWohlfarth

Heres my 2 guesses. Bad check valve on trap outlet that is lifting condensate and a long horizontal run into the trap. usually you drop and then go into a trap. The long horizontal is holding water and steam.

Steamhead

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

...... long horizontal run into the trap. usually you drop and then go into a trap. The long horizontal is holding water and steam.

That would be the first thing I'd check. Also, @RayWohlfarth , what pressure are they running in this brewery?

retiredguy

I have used inline F&T traps on occasion but the lines always came in and out at the bottom and not the top. These traps may be installed correctly but I have never seen them oriented this way.

RayWohlfarth

Greetings all Lots of good guesses Here is the reason for the banging. The strainers before the traps were facing down which meant they would fill with water. When the steam hit, it would start the banging. When installing strainers on a steam system, they should be piped with the blowdown on a horizontal plane. Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzbfsza08c

I uploaded another video this week talking about the difference between safety and relief valves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxXO6lGnw0g

Steamhead

I still say those horizontal drip lines are too long.

RayWohlfarth

@Steamhead They very well may be but changing the strainers to horizontal stopped the banging.

EBEBRATT-Ed

That is strange. Strainers are always installed with the drain on the bottom. Never seen them on the horizontal

RayWohlfarth

@EBEBRATT-Ed Me either but Spiral Arcs said they should be horizontal