Retrotec USACE User Manual
Page 175
Appendix D D45
system, the cost to install condensate return components may be more than
the value of the subject condensate. In this case, the condensed steam would
be dumped down a drain.
Figure D70. Well-maintained condensate
receiver with pump to send condensate back
to heating plant.
D.4.1.3 Leaks at Gaskets, Fittings, and Valves (Waste)
Figure D71. Steam leak at pipe fi tting.
Any leak in a steam system results in a waste of energy. Since steam is a gas,
there is no evidence of the leak other than whatever steam plume is visible
at the leak site (Figure D71). Exposure to these leaks can be harmful to the
body, causing burns or worse. Leaks of superheated steam are not visible and
can be very dangerous. The expansion and contraction that a steam system
experiences as it is started and shut down can stress the piping components,
resulting in leaks. The amount of energy lost by a leak depends on the system
pressure and the size of the leak. A leak with a diameter of 6 mm (¼ in)
will result in a steam waste of 0.075 Btu/min (75 pounds/hr) in a 206.8 kPa
(30 psig) system.