Leaking steam traps lose significant quantities of steam, which result in large energy losses. Proper maintenance can reduce these losses in an efficient manner. In steam systems where the steam traps have not been inspected in the last three to five years, up to about 30 % of them may have failed allowing steam to escape. In systems with a regularly scheduled maintenance programme, less than 5 % of the total number of traps should be leaking.
There are many different types of steam traps and each type has its own characteristics and preconditions. Checks for escaping steam are based on acoustic, visual, electrical conductivity or thermal checks.
When replacing steam traps, changing to orifice venturi steam traps can be considered. Some studies suggest that under specific conditions, these traps result in lower steam losses and longer lifespans. However, the opinion between experts on the utilisation of orifice venturi steam traps is divided. In any case, this type of steam trap is a continuous leak, so it should only be used for very specific services (e.g. on reboilers, which always operate at a minimum 50 – 70 % of their design duty).

破損的蒸汽祛水器會洩漏大量蒸汽造成可觀的熱損。適當的維護保養可減少此類損失，使之成為有效能。在蒸汽系統中若祛水器3~5年不做保養檢查的話，至少有30%以上的祛水器可能失效而致蒸汽逸失。
蒸汽祛水器有許多不同形式、特性和使用條件。要檢查蒸汽是否洩漏可採用音波檢查、目視檢查、導電度檢查或感熱檢查。

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A programme to track down leaking steam traps and to determine whether steam traps need to be replaced is required for every steam system. Steam traps often have a relatively short lifespan.
The frequency by which steam traps are checked depends on the size of the site, the rate of the steam flow, the operating pressure(s), the number and size of traps, and the age and condition of the system and the traps, as well as any existing planned maintenance. The cost benefit of undertaking major inspections and changing programmes needs to be balanced according to these factors. (Some sites may have 50 traps or fewer, all easily accessible, where others may have 10000 traps.)
Some sources indicate that equipment with large steam traps (e.g. with steam flows of about 1 tonne of steam an hour or more), epecially operating at high pressure, may be checked annually, and less critical ones on a rolling programme of 25 % of traps every year (i.e. every trap is checked at least once every 4 years). This is comparable to LDAR ( leak detection and repair) programmes which are now being required in such installations by many governments. In one example, where trap maintenance was haphazard, up to 20 % of traps were defective. With annual follow-up, leaks can be reduced to 4 – 5 % o f traps. If all traps were checked annually, there will be a slow decrease to about 3 % after 5 years (as older traps are replaced by newer models).
In all cases, when checking steam traps, it is good practice to also check by-pass valves. These are sometimes opened to avoid over-pressure in lines and damage ( especially in tracer lines), where the steam trap is not able to evacuate all the condensate, and for operational reasons. It is generally more effective to rectify the original problem, make proper repairs, etc. (which may entail capital expenditure) than operate with poor energy efficiency in the system.
An automated control mechanism can be installed on each type of steam trap. Automatic steam trap controls are particularly applicable for:
●traps with high operating pressures, so any leakage rapidly accrues high energy losses
●traps whose operation is critical to operations and whose blockage will result in damage or production loss.

蒸汽祛水器的使用壽命不長，每一套蒸汽系統都要有蒸汽祛水器維護計畫以追蹤是否洩漏以及決定是否要更換新品的根據。
蒸汽祛水器檢查的頻次要看所在位置的大小、蒸汽的流率、操作壓力、數量和大小、使用的壽年、現況以及有無維護計畫等。檢查與更換新品的成本必須和前述因素間取得平衡。(有些地方可能只有50套以下，有的地方會高達10,000套不等)。
有些資料顯示，裝設大型蒸汽祛水器設備(蒸汽流率大約在1噸/小時以上) ，且又是高操作壓力時，檢查次數可以每年一次，而且比較不重要的部分可以每年從維護計劃名單中抽取25%檢查，亦即至少4年可全部輪流檢查完。
有些國家規定要裝設類似這種做法的LADR(洩漏偵測與修護系統)。有一案例分析，蒸汽祛水器的維保工作未落實，約有20%的祛水器故障失效，經過一年追蹤，洩漏降到4~5%，如果所有祛水器可以每年檢查，而且將舊式祛水器換成新式，則在5年後可降到3%左右。
在所有的情況下，當檢查蒸汽祛水器時，也同時檢查旁通閥是頗為實際的做法。旁通閥的作用是在蒸汽過壓時打開，洩壓到其他管線，以免使設備損壞。蒸汽祛水器在當時因為操作上的需求，不能排放所有凝結水時，開啟旁通閥可發揮其功能。
有一種自動控制儀器可裝在每一種型式的蒸汽祛水器上。此種蒸汽祛水器自動控制儀主要用於下列情況時：
●高操作壓力的祛水器如有洩漏，則表示有大量熱能快速流失
●對操作有關鍵性影響的祛水器若停了，對生產作業會有影響

The costs for replacement are generally considerably less than the losses as a result of defective operation. Rapid payback, depending on the scale of the leakage. See example above.

一般來說，更換新祛水器的成本會比故障而造成的生產損失少，回收年限的長短端視蒸汽洩漏的程度而定。

Energy Efficiency (2009) 3.2.12