[Steam-engine] Safety valves

[Ken Majeski]

Well Bruce, I geuss the next time I am out there I will look and see what 
the tags say. I believe the specified blowdown is 6 PSI. I believe it is PSI 
not %...???

I believe many people creat their own problems as some guys simply can not 
leave that handle alone. They will pull the safety valve handle for various 
reasons such as to allow air into the boiler for faster draining ect. Then a 
small particle of dirt or whatever from wherever will get into the seat and 
you have a leaker.... I never pull the handle unless better than 3/4 
operating pressure has been reached. It will then blow itself clean. My 
inspector will look at the valve every year and record the numbers but will 
never pull the handle... He doesn't want to get Chewed Out and has enough 
Common Sense to know what will happen...

Ken Majeski, Ellsworth Wis. Case Steam Engine, Minneapolis Steam Engine, 
Rumely Oilpulls H, F, & R. Website, Http://www.pressenter.com/~kmajeski/





>From: "Bruce & Marlene Babcock" <babcock2 at gte.net>
>Reply-To: Steam-engine mailing list 
><steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>To: "Steam-engine mailing list" <steam-engine at lists.stationary-engine.com>
>Subject: [Steam-engine] Safety valves
>Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 08:21:53 -0400
>
>Ken,
>
>     You said your safety valves blow down 5 or 6 psi.
>
>     At 5 psi your 140 psi safety valves would blow down 3.6% and your 145 
>psi valve 3.4%.
>
>     At 6 psi the figures would be 4.3% and 4.1%.
>
>     If you were to  purchase new valves that blow down 6% the 140 psi 
>valve would blow down 8.4 psi and the 145 valve would blow down 8.7 psi.
>
>     I wish I had copies of the ASME codes published between 1983 and 2001 
>so I could determine when they increased the blowdown to 6%.   I suspect 
>you purchased your valves before that change occurred.   If you simply 
>replaced your existing valves and did not specify 4% blowdown and received 
>valves set at 6% you might be disappointed in their performance.
>
>     Your satisfaction with valves set at 3.4% to 4.3% blowdown is 
>consistent with what owners and operators have reported.  Your experience 
>certainly supports the idea that safety valves with lower blowdowns are 
>more satisfactory.   I hope others will report their experiences just as 
>you have.
>
>     Thanks,
>
>Bruce E. Babcock
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