There are many types of steam traps (Learn  about the four primary ones here), but they all serve to keep steam in the “steam loop” while extracting condensate (and air) and redirecting it to the “condensate loop.” The condensate loop usually feeds into a tank, and from there the water is either processed and returned to the boiler or cooled and discharged as waste.

Thermaxx Jackets was founded over 25 years ago with a single purpose: to help our clients save energy with removable insulation blankets when traditional stay-in-place insulation is not practical. Our dedication to this purpose has resulted in a long list of customers who have saved money thanks to Thermaxx Jackets! Combining expertise in heat loss, wireless monitoring, insulation design, and several other disciplines, we’ve become the #1 provider and fabricator of removable insulation jackets and covers. The Thermaxx Sales and Service teams are experienced and trained to provide clients with the most timely and cost-effective solution.

We’re all familiar with the tried and true method of generating energy, pioneered by our ancient ancestors...FIRE. Fast forward a few thousand years and fire’s still a top choice, but along the way people realized that lighting fires everywhere can create a host of problems. Maintaining a single fire in a controlled, isolated environment is a lot easier – but you can’t send fire down a tube to where it’s needed!  That’s where steam comes into play.

The Boiler Control 256 is designed to operate a single boiler using Outdoor Temperature Reset. It can be used in applications ranging from a single zone of baseboard to multiple zones of fan coils and baseboard. This control regulates a single heating water temperature through Outdoor Temperature Reset.

Steam has many great properties that make it ideal for generating energy. It can hold a lot of energy, can travel down a tube, and transfers heat in a uniform fashion.  The fire takes place in a boiler, which heats water to a boil, converting it into steam.  That steam is distributed to where it’s needed and then some of that energy created in the boiler is harnessed to do work – in components like radiators, water heaters, industrial kettles, sterilizers, turbines, etc.

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Thermaxx Jackets insulate and protect pipes, valves and machinery in all types of environments, dramatically reducing energy costs.

We have been using Thermaxx insulated jackets on our Hydro-Vac trucks for 8 years and have not had any issue with hoses freezing in outside operating temperatures that have reached below -45°F.I would recommend that if anyone is looking for a proven and durable insulated jacket, Thermaxx Jackets will have you covered.

You can learn more about insulation solutions for steam traps here or by contacting us or requesting a heat loss survey today!

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Steam systems are designed to put raw energy to work, and steam traps are a critical part of that system. Truly understanding steam traps requires a little bit of knowledge of steam and condensate, so let's start with the basics.

Steam system operators need to know that steam traps are doing their job, and select the right size and type based on load levels (min, max, and consistency), cycling requirements, process requirements, longevity, and a plethora of other factors.  For the rest of us, the hope is that we are now armed with enough knowledge to dissuade any cavemen we know from lighting more fires – and, more importantly, understand a critical component of systems that play a huge role in our lives in the modern world.

Condensate is the ‘sweat’ of steam that’s been put to work.  In other words, it is what results when steam releases its energy through work and turns it back into water. When steam energy is used, some of the steam condenses.  For those in the know, you can forget about technicalities like conductance, latent heat, sensible heat, saturated steam, and convection for a minute and bear with this analogy.

A steam trap is a device that removes condensate from a steam system.  A typical steam system will have many steam traps – typically placed at 50-150’ after in straight pipe, after every heat exchanger (where the work gets done), and at every location where there is a change of elevation or pressure.

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Great News! Thermaxx completed a NYPA funded project with results exceeding expectations! Installing thermal blankets throughout the campus will save us thousands of dollars make our ME rooms safer. SUNY New Paltz congratulates Thermaxx on a job well done!

The excellent properties of steam for energy generation do NOT apply to water! Condensate (water) is inevitable when a steam system is doing work. But, it needs to be taken out of the system so that steam can continue doing its job.  Water also has negative side effects, like corrosion and water-hammer that we won’t get into here – suffice to say, it’s not wanted in a steam system.