Stop Losing Money Through Your Steam System

Every day, facilities across the Midwest are watching their energy dollars literally evaporate into thin air. Failed steam traps, inefficient heat exchangers, and poorly performing condensate systems silently drain profits while most plant managers remain completely unaware of the problem.

Mead O'Brien's Steam Trap Surveys and Thermal Assessments shine a light on these hidden energy thieves. With over 85 years of combined expertise with Armstrong in steam and hot water system optimization, our trained survey technicians don't just identify problems—we quantify exactly how much money you're losing and show you how to get it back.

Here's what makes our approach different. We don't conduct a quick walkthrough and call it a day. Our technicians meticulously locate and identify every steam trap in your facility, tagging each one with a stainless steel tag and logging up to 27 fields of critical data per trap. This creates a comprehensive database that becomes an invaluable asset for your maintenance team going forward.

The deliverables tell the complete story. You'll receive a professional report that includes an executive summary, a detailed failed trap report showing both steam and dollar losses, comprehensive log sheets, and actionable recommendations. We also present monitoring options for your critical service applications and identify heat recovery opportunities you may be missing.

The benefits hit your bottom line immediately. Reducing steam and condensate losses means you're also reducing the loss of expensive boiler chemicals. Your heat transfer performance improves, which means production equipment runs more efficiently. You'll prevent costly damage to coils and heat exchangers while minimizing dangerous water hammer hazards that put your team at risk.

Our surveys go beyond just steam traps. We assess your entire thermal system including condensate pumps, pumping traps, temperature and pressure controls, heating coils, heat exchangers, strainers, air vents, sump ejectors, water mixing valves, and hot water heaters. We're looking at the complete picture of your energy consumption.

But we don't stop at the assessment. Through Armstrong University's 125-plus web-based courses and Mead O'Brien's Live Steam Lab, we offer training tailored specifically to your plant's needs. We design steam flow measurement systems and help you implement a sustainable steam trap management process that delivers ongoing savings.

Whether you're dealing with coil freezing issues, poor heat transfer and steam control, water hammer problems, or high backpressure, our team has seen it and solved it. We bring proven products, technical expertise, and trusted advisory services to facilities throughout Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Southern Illinois, Indiana, Western Kentucky, and the Texas Panhandle.

The question isn't whether you have energy waste in your steam system. The question is how much, and what are you going to do about it? Contact Mead O'Brien today to schedule your steam trap survey and thermal assessment. Let's turn those energy losses into measurable savings.

The Case for Steam Trap Surveys and Trap Management Programs

Improve Steam System Efficiency, Improve Safety, Lower Carbon Emissions, and Conserve Energy

A reliable, accurate assessment of your steam trap population is important. A proactive trap management program has many benefits including keeping trap failure rates low, maximizing safety, improving system efficiency, improving steam quality, reducing energy use, and improving environmental compliance.

Failure to inspect your steam traps can lead to serious problems and safety risks. Precise, reliable checks help prevent serious problems such as water hammer, unscheduled downtime, production stoppages, frozen lines, increased energy usage, and excess fuel consumption.

Steam Trap Survey Case Study*

A major university is now realizing its energy management goals and improving the efficiency of its steam utility system by initiating and implementing a steam trap management program. The university's heating plant consists of three natural gas boilers that distribute steam to the entire campus through an underground tunnel system.

With the stated goal of making enhancements to their steam system, the university's facilities management group participated in a two-day steam seminar. The seminar provided a full understanding of the technology and methodology, leading to a decision to implement a full campus steam trap survey.

By utilizing state-of-the-art steam trap monitoring tools, the survey was completed after one year. All survey logs and data was collected, and the analysis reports were generated. A trap failure rate of about 15%, which corresponded to over $220,000 in yearly losses, was discovered. Over the course of the next 2 years, more surveys were conducted resulting in a continuing lower trap failure rates, lower carbon emissions, and the savings of an additional $120,000 in energy costs through replacing defective steam traps.

The university scored a huge success in savings, lower carbon emissions, and labor costs. As this trend continues in a downward direction, calculations and reports derived from the yearly surveys are a strong foundation for directors and managers to validate funding to drive the steam trap management program forward.

Components of a Steam Trap Management Program

• Done by trained survey technicians.
• Traps located and identified, tagged with SS tag #, and data logged with up to 27 fields of useful data per trap.
• Executive summary and failed trap report with steam & dollar losses, detailed log sheets, and recommendations provided.
• Monitoring options presented for critical service applications.
• Steam flow measurement design discussed.
• Heat recovery potential discussed.
• Continued training options available through hands-on, live, steam lab.

Benefits of Steam Trap Management Program

• Reduce steam & condensate losses.
• Reduce loss of boiler chemicals.
• Improve heat transfer performance.
• Prevent coil and heat exchanger damage.
• Minimize water hammer hazards.

For more information about steam trap surveys and steam trap management programs, contact Mead O'Brien. Call them at  (800) 892-2769 or visit their web site at https://meadobrien.com.

* Case study courtesy of Armstrong International