Boiler Blowdown Systems

By law, steam boilers in the UK need to be regularly maintained to help ensure safe and efficient operation.

An important part of the maintenance routine is regular blowdown of the boiler water which helps maintain the water quality in the boiler and the system overall, of which there are three main types: bottom blowdown, TDS blowdown and level gauge blowdown.

Boiler Blowdown Systems Explained

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Boiler House Surveys

Valveforce offers peace of mind by ensuring that your steam boiler plant is compliant with all regulatory standards, including the CEA’s BG03 and necessary HSE guidelines, and ensures that your bottom blowdown works efficiently and effectively.

You can also rely on our team of steam solutions experts to offer advice and undertake complete boiler house and boiler surveys.

In the boiler house we:

investigate boiler feed water conditioning
to supply boiler feedwater tank and deaerator plant equipment and accessories
provide water treatment equipment, including water softening and reverse osmosis (RO) plant

For the steam boiler we:

review boiler control equipment for level control
check boiler blowdown
test boiler heat recovery equipment

From the boiler house surveys, Valveforce produce detailed reports to ensure that your boiler blowdown valve and boiler house are up to date and in keeping with the latest standards and legislation.

If you would like further information and advice, please contact Valveforce on 0121 711 1908 and ask for the boilerhouse specialist team.

Boiler Blowdown Services

Call us on 0121 711 1908

Bottom Blowdown

Carried out by the bottom blowdown valve on the bottom blowdown line
Required to remove sludge and sediment deposits at the bottom of the boiler
Sludge build-up can cause potentially dangerous damage to boiler tubes
3-5 second purge of the bottom of the boiler
Required daily or per shift
Automated or manual depending on site preferences.

Level Gauge Blowdown

Level gauges on the side of the boiler are drained regularly to avoid dirt build up
Scale and dirt build up impairs proper reading of gauge glasses resulting in potentially dangerous misreading of the boiler level
Carried out manually by drain cocks at the bottom of the gauges
Required to be carried out regularly by law on boiler arrangements

TDS Blowdown

Continuously blowdown via an electric TDS valve
Required to keep Total Dissolved Solids in the boiler water to within prescribed levels (approx. 2000 ppm for small industrial shell boilers and 3500 ppm for larger boilers)
Excess TDS levels leads to carry over and poor water level quality
View our page on Boiler TDS Systems here

The Blowdown Vessel

As these types of blowdown are at boiler temperature and sending these blowdowns straight to drain is a Legionella risk, a blowdown vessel is required to receive the blowdowns. This allows the hot discharged water to cool before being sent to drain.
Valveforce follow the CEA’s latest guidance on Boiler Maintenance (BG01 – Guidance on Safe Operation of Steam Boilers) and Blowdown Systems (BG03 - Blowdown Systems Guidance for Industrial Steam Boilers) when advising customers on blowdown design and new equipment.

Valveforce Product Variations

Call us on 0121 711 1908

Steam Boiler Blowdown Turnkey Solutions:

site surveys
bespoke boiler blowdown system design and construction
installation
commissioning
servicing/maintenance contracts

Complete TDS System Including:

Electric TDS Control valve with
TDS Controller - panel mounted
TDS Probe
Spool piece
Valves
Sample cooler

Automated Blowdown Valves:

Big brands including Gestra and Spirax
Alternatively, our long-pattern pneumatic ball valves designed for blowdown applications are a cost-effective solution to the more traditional globe valve design and will replace existing valves