Water Hammer Prevention in Process Steam Systems

Water hammer in steam lines is the most common cause of damage in steam systems and is preventable in all cases. Water hammer usually occurs in steam pipework that is poorly designed or installed, although in some cases it can be a direct result of steam trap failure within any steam system. In other instances, poor system design coupled with poor start-up procedures can also cause major damage to steam pipework due to water hammer. Preventing water hammer in steam pipelines is easily dealt with, for further information please read on or contact our Sales Team

Water Hammer Common Causes

Common causes of water hammer are poor dirt pocket design within an existing steam system, steam trap failure, pipeline installed with a slope against the steam flow, relay points installed without dirt pockets or just the lack of regular steam traps and dirt pockets within a steam system. The last example was something we experienced recently with a local business where there were no dirt pockets installed on new pipework and this system was completely water-logged and would not function.

Prevention of all these issues is simple, when installing steam pipework always use a specialist process steam contractor and or supplier and consult the latest information on installation parameters. Steam technology has improved dramatically over the last decades and improved training has brought businesses like ours to the fore within the industry. Although we cannot offer system design, we can provide the correct information to ensure that all steam products we supply are correctly sized and installed the right way and as a TLV Steam Products Distributor we can also offer the highest quality products for your site. So if your business is experiencing water hammer issues or any process steam problems come and talk to the staff at Besseges (Valves, Tubes & Fittings) Ltd, we can discuss your issues over the phone or arrange for our Technical Sales Manager to visit your site to see the problems first hand. So please contact us for further information.