Minimize deaerator steam venting. Excessive steam losses in a steam plant can often be attributed to deaeration, a corrosion control process that removes air and gases from boiler feedwater. Plant personnel should be careful to minimize deaerator venting to the minimum acceptable level. Optimize boiler loading to coordinate the operation of multiple boilers and ensure that all load conditions are met in the most efficient manner. Selected boilers should be shut down during the low load periods so that the remaining boilers can operate at higher, more efficient firing rates.
Steam traps are mechanical devices that remove condensate from steam piping and equipment.
Hundreds of steam traps may be in service in a typical system, and it is not uncommon to find 15 to 20 percent not functioning properly. Collectively, trap losses can be significant. In systems with a scheduled maintenance program, leaking traps should account for no more than 5 percent of the total trap population. Inoperative condensate return equipment, like steam traps, often go unnoticed because collected condensate can be wasted to drain, while the steam system continues to function. Condensate contains useful thermal energy that can be recovered to offset fuel costs.