Steam loss represents a significant financial loss — especially given that, in an average steam-using plant, 23.8% of steam traps are either leaking significant amounts of steam or blocking condensate drainage. Making steam trap testing a routine priority helps reduce this waste and improve overall system performance.   

So, how do you test a trap? While some visual signs – such as no condensate discharge or large volumes of steam escaping from a trap – can point to failure, there is more to accurate trap testing than meets the eye.   

Measuring the trap’s inlet condensate temperature can help identify blockages or undersized traps. However, temperature readings alone are unreliable for detecting steam leaks, since flash steam reads as hot as live steam. In this case, sound-based testing offers greater accuracy.   

Read on to learn about the strengths and limitations of visual, temperature, and acoustic methods, plus tools and practical recommendations for each:

Maximize plant efficiency    
with TLV’s Steam Trap Surveys

Far more than routine inspections, TLV’s surveys offer a consulting-based approach that assesses your entire steam system. We deliver actionable insights and cost-effective solutions to support long-term performance, reliability, and energy savings. Discover the difference a comprehensive approach can make.       
 

Our surveys utilize the latest TrapMan® diagnostic equipment specially developed by TLV. Using data from over 3,000 individual steam trap models, TrapMan® compares each unit against its exact type in the database to deliver precise, model-specific diagnostics.