Steam specialist Spirax Sarco has advised boiler house operators that failure to follow the correct boiler or system start-up procedures could lead to dangerous steam pipework problems as the heating season approaches.
The advisory notice specifically pinpoints the threat of water hammer and thermal pipework expansion as key issues when systems become operational again this autumn.
John Pickering, a specialist in safe procedures for steam distribution systems at Spirax Sarco, says it is possible for new operators of steam systems to underestimate the care and time that needs to be given to start-ups following shut down.
“Both water hammer and thermal expansion are a real threat to steam pipework when systems are fired-up after a long lay-off,” says Pickering.
Spirax Sarco recommends an 11-point procedure for warming pipework from cold, which is outlined by National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Service (NIFES) in the organisation’s handbook.
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