Dealing With Unsafe High Pressure Steam Relief Valves
High pressure steam relief valves prevent the pressure in systems from exceeding the recommended level. Once this happens it is unsafe and could lead to injury or structure damage.
Even though high pressure steam relief valves are necessary for a safe boiler or hot water heater, if they become damaged or faulty in any way then they can quickly become unsafe. The following is an overview of some common problems that may occur and how you can effectively deal with them.
One of the more dangerous situations that can occur is for your steam control valves to become leaky and damaged as a result. Even if the leaking stops it can still be potentially dangerous because you have no idea why it stopped. It could have fixed itself, such as in cases where something caused the pressure in the boiler to go above the safe limit; however, it may also have stopped leaking because the system became clogged, in which case you are still in danger.
Another potentially unsafe situation that can occur is when high pressure steam relief valves are piped to shutoff valves or to hidden locations. The steam that emits forth from a steam relief valve can burn you or cause damage to its surroundings. So make sure that it is piped to an open area where passersby will know to avoid it. It should also be kept a couple inches away from the floor. In addition, never attach a shutoff valve or any type of pipe at the end of a steam relief valve. Not only is this illegal, but it is incredibly dangerous to try and put a cap on one of these valves.
Of course, probably the most dangerous of all scenarios is to try and go without steam control valves altogether. Because most boilers and heaters come with them already installed, this would typically only happen with older systems. Instead, old heating boilers will often use an overflow tank to relieve the pressure. These will often be installed out of view, like on the top of a building or in the attic. While this is a setup that may have worked well in the past, it is generally in your best interest to have high pressure steam relief valves installed on this type of system.
Finally, it is a good idea to test your boiler’s steam relief valve from time to time. This is usually performed by lifting up the ‘test’ lever. However, this is only recommended if you are a trained professional in this area. Instead, try the following:
• Make sure that it is set at or below the recommended amount of pressure by matching the readings of the pressure gauge with the figure given on the tag.
• Look it over to make sure that no tampering has been done and that there is no evidence of a history of leaks.
• Make sure a discharge tube has been installed and that nothing is blocking it.
