How to Not Need High Pressure Steam Leak Repair
Many plants depend on high-pressure steam for various uses. These include heating, cooling, stripping, motor fluid for turbines, and more. In 2018, a high-pressure steam leak caused street closings in Manhatten for several blocks.
High-pressure steam leak repair is something an industrial production manager wants to avoid. Keep reading to learn how to keep these types of repairs down to a minimum, or from happening at all.
Create a High-Pressure Steam Leak Plan
If there is a steam leak, that could lead to equipment shutdown or severe burns to the employees nearby. Steam leakage is not a normal part of everyday life in steam-based plant operations. Having a plan in place to deal with equipment that may leak is essential to keeping operations functioning as normal.
Most steam leaks are caused by issues with threaded pipe connections, valve problems, and water hammer. With careful planning, most of the time these can be prevented.
Thread components should get checked to ensure quality and get checked for erosion, which carbonic acid can cause. Sometimes the threads will get worn down from water or from steam expanding and contracting and will need to get replaced. Different types of connectors may sometimes be used to prevent problems with this.
The right valves need to get used. Sometimes plants base these on price, but it should get based on operational need. Also, standard packing on valves can be a problem and cause the valve to leak, so different valves could solve the issue.
Water hammer happens when an open valve closes fast and causes water to slam into it, which may damage the pipes. Water hammer could get fixed by installing an air chamber that the water can flow into. If this does not work, the problem needs to get fixed by an experienced leak repair company.
Provide Routine Training
When performing maintenance in steam-based plant operations, safety is the number one priority. The industrial plant manager will need to contact a company that knows how important it is to get equipment working fast, in a safe manner. Having a 24-hour emergency service will allow them to get the job done, day or night.
Some problems are routine and can get fixed while the equipment remains online. Employees should receive training with the tools needed to fix easy jobs right away. If a valve needs to be tightened this can get taken care of before the high-pressure steam turns into a big leak.
When Leaks Do Occur
Preventing the need for high-pressure steam repair is the best course of action, but it is not always possible. In any industrial setting, parts will need to get replaced, and things will break down.
Routine quality checks and getting the right parts can make a big difference. There will always be a need for repairs, but those can be lower by being cautious and knowing what to look for in advance. If your plant does experience a high-pressure steam leak, contact us to get it fixed fast!
