steam cooking kettles

steve gates

looked at a steam job where they had moved to a new building. They had cut eveything and "couldn't" find anyone willing to tackle it till me. I've done one. and it works thank to Dans books and you'all.

The two cooking kettles come with the steam enty inlets on a downward 45. This in escence creates a trap. Not good? Won't steam condense here and hammer?

There idea a reciever was a bucket. It had been piped in copper and to small to boot. I want to make it work better but this trap thing has me concerned.

All equipment is an the same level so can't pipe it without the trap or am I missing somthing?

If it makes any diff. they only run it every so often to cook jams, jellies and salsa of the southwest.

thanks in advance!

DanHolohan

Steve,

do you have a sketch or a photo?

don_42

If I may ask..

If the condensate is being dump into a floor drain and not
going back to the boiler,why would there be a need for a trap?

The one I have seen and work on most of the steam is gone
before it get to the other end.Whats left over is some hot
condensate that carrying alot of btus right down the drain.

Jeff Lawrence_24

Groen?

Many years ago, I worked in a country club as the refrigeration mechanic. Yeah, right. If it broke, I usually had a hand in fixing it.

We had about 4 steam kettles similar to your description. Two of these were large 30 or 40 (quart or gallon). The steam came from a small cast iron Peerless boiler. There were no steam traps anywhere on the system. There was, however, a pick-up tube inside the steam jacket that picked up the condensate from the bottom of the jacket and returned it to the boiler. I found this out when one of the kettles started 'acting up.' As the kettle was tilted to drain the product, there was a dragging noise. It was where the pick-up tube had come loose inside.

Oh, and there was some 'minor' hammering on start-up sometime. That of course was the steam hitting the cold condensate in the bottom of the kettles.

I hope this helps.

Jeff

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

steve gates

only in my mind. I had hoped you would see my onehand drawing in the air as I typed with the other.

I'm gonna get my kids to show me how to post pics. It's been time for tooooooo long

Dale

B&G

Remembering from the "steam service seminar" at B&G that the main problem with kettles was trying to master trap them instead of individual traps. Of course if the manufacturer can be contacted that would be the best piping source. If not see if your local B&G rep can get you a copy of their diagrams on this topic.

Unknown

Steam kettles

If I read the question correctly if you instal a syphon into the jacket and pipe a steam trap to the bottom of the kettle you will be able to recover all the condensate by piping the discharge of the steam trap to a condensate pump.

Some times a condensate pump cannot be put near the steam kettle so you can instal an external pipe syphon and install the trap at the ceiling and pie the condensate to a remote condensate pump.

Be sure that the operating steam pressure is greater than the back pressure of the of the pipe rise.

The lift is about one foot for each pound of steam pressure.

Jake.

Art Pittaway

Kettle Vacuum

You don't want to forget a vacuum breaker on the tank, when the steam collapses it will oil can the shell. It's amazing how much force it produces. If there is only one opening it needs to be an inlet and outlet.