143 McDonough Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253 www.boilersupplies.com (800) 780-3776 pg.2 Checking Your Condensate Pump/Unit for Issues
While the basic principles behind commercial steam boiler design have been in place for more than 150 years, modern boilers are complex networks of machinery that require several systems working in concert to operate effectively. Neglecting any part of the system can cost businesses time and money. Therefore, it is vitally important to make sure all the elements of any boiler system, whether used for power generation, building heating, or other purposes, is functioning at peak efciency. That includes seemingly innocuous components like the condensate pump, a critical but often overlooked part of every boiler system. Properly maintained steam traps can add to the life of your condensate unit but poorly maintained traps can become clogged trapping condensate and not allowing it to return to the unit causing very costly maintenance and repair. To understand why condensate pumps are so important, its rst necessary to understand their function in the boiler system. Every steam boiler system is comprised of the heating vessel and four additional systems: distribution, feedwater, fuel and draft. The distribution system is the network that channels steam to whatever it will be used for radiators, driving a turbine, etc. The feedwater system delivers water to the heating vessel. The fuel system supplies the fuel that will burn and heat the water in the vessel. The draft system introduces the air for fuel combustion and vents the gasses created by it.
The distribution system is generally a closed system. Steam travels through it, and rather than being vented, it is reclaimed and sent back to the boiler, thus keeping water usage economical. As steam travels through the distribution system, part of it will cool enough to condense into water. This condensed water, or condensate, is typically collected in a receiver tank. Once enough water has been collected, a rising oat in the receiver tank will trigger the condensate pump, which then pumps the reclaimed water back into the boiler for reuse. 143 McDonough Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253 www.boilersupplies.com (800) 780-3776 pg.3
An easy way to picture how this process works is a familiar (if unglamorous) everyday example: a toilet tank. When activated, water ushes out of the tank into the bowl. As the tank is relled, a oat in the tank rises with the water level. When a sufcient amount of water has entered the tank, the oat rises to the top and shuts off the ow of water into the tank. To apply this example to modern boiler systems, the receiver tank is represented by the toilet tank, and the boiler is represented by the toilet bowl. And like this example, the condensate pump serves a simple but vital purpose: it makes sure that the water level is where it needs to be for the entire system to function at its best. When the condensate in the receiver tank reaches a certain level, the condensate pump is triggered and pumps the collected condensate back into the boiler for reuse. So why is proper condensate pump function so critical? Imagine if the oat in the toilet tank malfunctioned. Either too much water goes into the bowl (boiler) and it overows, or not enough water gets to the bowl (boiler) and it runs dry. In a toilet, that is an inconvenience. In a boiler system, it is potentially disastrous. A boiler that has too much water in it will function poorly, which can result in huge dollar losses in reduced or lost production, and additional losses in downtime to x the problem. A boiler that has too little or no water can be severely damaged, necessitating an expensive overhaul and/or replacement of critical components. Condensate pumps may not be considered top priority items, but clearly its wise to make sure they are operating at peak efciency. If you have any strainers attached to your condensate return be sure and check them weekly or monthly to ensure they are clean and free of any scale or other foreign material that can block condensate from returning to your unit. 143 McDonough Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253 www.boilersupplies.com (800) 780-3776 pg.4
What should companies look for to ensure that they are? Here are some danger signs and their potential causes: The pump runs too often or the pump motor overheats
Make sure the capacity and pressure rating of the pump is appropriate. It may be insufcient for the task and needs to run too often to keep up. Check the temperature of the condensate. These are superheated gasses and they may be overheating the pump. Check the oat switch. Remember the toilet tank example? If the oat is stuck in the on position, it will keep running and continuously pump condensate to the boiler. Ensure that the lines between the pump and boiler arent clogged. In systems with a lot of sediment in the water, adding new strainers or cleaning existing ones can help.
The pump constantly starts and stops, or doesnt keep the boiler level high enough
Again, check the oat switch. It determines how often the pump runs and how much condensate is returned to the boiler each time it cycles. So its important that the oat travel is set correctly. Inspect the check valve. Condensate pumps have a one-way check valve that prevents water from owing into the receiver tank from the boiler. If this valve doesnt seal properly, water from the boiler will back up into the receiver and activate the pump. This can create a tug of war between the receiver and the boiler Pump operation is excessively noisy
Make sure the pump hasnt been damaged by hot condensate or inadequate priming. Check how the pump is mounted. Its important to make sure that the pump controller is level and the pump is on an adequate foundation. Is the noise coming from adjacent piping? Often, attaching short hoses between the input and output points can deaden knocking from pipes.
The pump leaks or functions erratically
Check the PH of the water. Carbolic acid can build up in boiler systems and affect the seal. Often, pump problems are caused by dirt and sediment, which can plug vent lines and clog the pump impeller 143 McDonough Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253 www.boilersupplies.com (800) 780-3776 pg.5
Of course, setting the pump to run at maximum efciency for a given application is the best way to avoid problems. Generally, the pump shouldnt run more often than every three minutes. By adjusting oat travel, its possible to get good results even with a pump with a relatively small gallon per minute rating. Heres a handy table showing the relationship:
Pump Horsepower and Tank Size Building Capacity Sq. Ft. EDR Gal per minute rating Approx. oat travel 1/3 HP with 8 gal steel or 6 gal CI tank 8,000 12 3 1/3 HP with 15 gal steel or 13.5 gal CI tank 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 3 6 9 12 3 5 7 8 1/2 HP with 30 gal steel or 24 Gal CI tank 10,000 15,000 15 22.5 7 10