AutomatedBuildings.com – New Wireless Steam Trap Monitor Installs in Minutes to Detect Costly Leaks, with Payback of about One Year

Posted March 2nd 2009

“Steam traps” are mechanical devices installed on the pipes to remove condensate from the steam flow; they are needed to maintain the proper operation of the steam distribution system.  A typical hospital or university campus may have several hundred or even thousands of steam traps.

Unfortunately, steam traps have a tendency to leak, and even a single leaking trap can waste up to thousands of dollars of energy per year.  According to the US Department of Energy, on average 15-25% of steam traps are leaking at existing installations, which means hundreds of thousands of dollars of wasted energy per year per site.   It is therefore critical to detect and correct failures quickly.