When selecting a steam trap, why is it necessary to multiply the steam trap’s discharge capacity by a safety factor?

1. Since the drainage capacity of steam traps is measured under continuous drainage conditions, but virtually all steam traps do not operate continuously in actual service—typically discharging intermittently—the pause time during actual operation must be taken into account.
2. Even when the capacity of steam-using equipment is clearly defined, this capacity refers solely to the load condition during normal operation. When steam-using equipment begins operation (during startup), also known as the “preheating phase,” both the equipment itself and the heated material are at ambient temperature. At this stage, steam consumption increases significantly. In other words, steam-using equipment often generates large amounts of condensate during the preheating phase.

For the above two reasons, when selecting steam traps, the drainage capacity of the steam trap must be multiplied by a safety factor.