Are you doing everything you can to maintain your steam system? A malfunction in a steam system can be dangerous, not to mention expensive to repair.
Avoid the headache of a breakdown by practicing proper steam system maintenance.
By making sure you’re taking good care of your system, you can prevent catastrophic issues and extend the overall life of your boiler system. You might even catch small problems before they have a chance to grow.
Steam system maintenance is simple, but it goes a long way. Read on to learn five easy ways to maintain your industrial steam system.
1. Check Your Water Quality
One aspect of steam system maintenance that is often overlooked is water quality. The quality of water used in a boiler system is important because water with a lot of impurities can cause problems.
The most common issue that arises from water is boiler scale. Boiler scale is a type of buildup that forms along pipes, causing efficiency loss or pipe blockage.
Ensuring that your water is properly treated to avoid boiler scale can make your system more efficient and extend its life.
2. Monitor Your Safety Valve
The safety valve is one of the most crucial parts of a boiler system. The safety valve allows for the venting of excess pressure from the steam system, preventing a dangerous buildup.
You should test your safety valve monthly to make sure it’s functioning properly. Depress the valve to see if steam is let out; if there’s no steam, you need to replace your valve immediately.
3. Maintain the Right Pressure
An industrial steam system can build up a lot of pressure. Too much pressure is dangerous, but too little is a problem as well. It’s important to regularly check your system’s pressure to make sure it’s at an appropriate level.
The pressure gauge should be checked daily. If pressure is ever outside of the proper range, shut the system down right away. The system will need to be serviced.
4. Schedule Inspections
Even if you’re doing all the proper preventive maintenance, you still need to have your steam system inspected regularly. Exact laws differ state by state, so make sure to keep abreast of the regulations for your area.
An inspection helps reinforce the correct procedures and maintenance tasks. A certified inspector is also a fresh set of eyes, helping find potential issues that you may have missed.
5. Get the Right Insulation
Steam boiler maintenance isn’t just about safety. It’s about efficiency, too. One common way that steam systems lose efficiency is through subpar insulation.
Poor insulation around piping can lead to the loss of heat energy. The heat escapes through uninsulated pipes, forcing the system to burn more fuel to maintain the correct amount of heat.
This wastes energy and can even result in damage to the pipes in question.
Keep Your Steam System in Shape
Maintaining your steam system keeps you and your employees safe. It also prevents you from dealing with costly repairs or frustrating breakdowns. Preventive maintenance is easy, and it helps your company in several ways!
Steam systems aren’t the only things that benefit from regular maintenance. For more ways to improve your business’s infrastructure, check out our tech blog!