From HVAC and kitchen appliances to autoclaves and other mission critical equipment, steam power and heat are everywhere. Steam is distributed at higher pressures than the pressures at which it’s used in order to increase density and thus the amount of steam that can be moved while decreasing the necessary pipe size to move it. Produced at 100-200 psi and used at pressures ranging from 15-60 psi, steam must be properly handled and reduced in order to be usable. If not properly reduced, and in the absence of adequate safety measures, high-pressure steam can cause significant harm to personnel and equipment. Lower-than-desired pressure steam could lead to downstream equipment malfunctions, delays or shutdowns in equipment, and costly lost productivity.

What’s more, steam is an expensive utility, at $8-$11 per 1,000 pounds of steam, and so it’s vital that it’s captured and reduced properly and that any equipment malfunctions are handled as soon as possible. Though most steam reducing systems have some safety measures built in for overpressure events, those same measures can lead to a significant loss of valuable steam if relief valves are in use. Functional steam-reducing stations are therefore necessary to nearly any application using steam, and steam control technology is a vital component of those reducing stations.