A Day with a Swagelok Energy Advisor Can Give Your Steam System a Boost

An on-site visit from a Swagelok Steam Systems Engineer can uncover ways to trim costs

If you can’t afford to pull a field engineer for up to a week to do a ground-up inspection of your steam system, consider a one-day, on-site visit from Swagelok Energy Advisors, experts in steam and condensate systems.

We send out a steam specialist to look at a specific problem, such as a valve that keeps failing for unknown reasons or water hammer, and you get a report on how to fix the specific problem and suggestions about what else to look for in your system, as well as a roadmap for how to implement the recommendations. It is a chance to open a window into your steam system and uncover cost savings, explore opportunities for improvement and gain from the experience and capabilities that our engineers bring to the table.

Product selection

While the engineer is on-site, you will also have a chance to pick their brain without having to worry about getting a sales pitch for a specific brand of product. That's because, as enthusiastic as we are about Swagelok products, most steam system requirements go beyond the typical scope of Swagelok products.  Swagelok does not manufacture boilers, steam traps, desuperheaters, heat exchangers or pumps, so you can be confident that our steam systems engineer will recommend only what’s best for your specific application without regard to manufacturer.

It is natural, then, to ask how Swagelok got into the business of inspecting steam systems. Back in 2008, the Swagelok acquired Plant Support and Evaluations Inc., a Naples, Florida-based training firm with extensive experience specializing in the evaluation of steam systems. It is now known as Swagelok Energy Advisors, or SEA. This acquisition has proven invaluable in helping customers achieve the highest level of performance and reliability of their steam systems.

Long menu

What kind of things does a SEA field engineer get called in to look at? You might want an inspection of your system's condensate recovery, pressure reducing stations, desuperheaters or steam traps. You also might be having temperature control issues in a heat exchanger or a dryer. The plant could also be venting excess steam, which is wasting significant money and energy.

We will give you a questionnaire so that you can provide basic information on your steam system prior to our visit. That could include the kind of equipment you use, the size of your system and whatever is causing trouble now.

"There are a lot of things I’m called in to look at," says Casey Rivera, steam systems engineer. "Before I go on site, I print out a scope outline and bring it with me that covers which area we’ll look at, and how long that will take. While it’s a rough schedule that's flexible, it helps makes clear what three or four topics we have time for in a day on site."

Rivera has even gone on site to check out a brand new steam system that a customer was installing and wanted an expert eye involved. Rivera was able to recommend some improvements right at the outset.

Looking ahead

Within a week after the inspection, the SEA engineer will write up and send you a report outlining the findings and recommendations. It is a good starting point for further discussion, perhaps leading to that full system inspection you may have been thinking about.

The one-day visit from a local engineer comes at a substantial discount from SEA's normal rates. What kind of savings you will net from implementing the recommendations are unique to each steam system, however, it is common that improvements from our recommendations will pay for the site visit in a few months.

So for a healthy discount on one-day of service, and the possibility of saving money and energy in the long term, schedule a brief phone consultation with our local steam systems engineer, Casey Rivera. He can answer any questions you have about the SEA one day site visit and help you take control of your steam system get more info »

Additional Resources

Industry Focused Steam Systems Training	Tube Fitting and Tube Bending Seminars