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Steam Startups – Preparing for Winter
When there’s a chill in the air, it means that it’s time to heat instead of
cool your downtown buildings. Here is a brief checklist from Hartford Steam
to help you ensure your building is ready to make the switch:
• Ask your district heating and cooling system representative to turn the
steam meter on and open the steam-stop building valve.
• Winterize appropriate chilled-water coils and eliminate possible freeze
conditions. For a no-glycol alternative for laying up coils, check out
this
article from HPAC magazine
• Ask your district heating and cooling system representative to shut the
chilled-water valves and turn off the chilled-water meter, if appropriate.
• Ensure your steam traps are working properly inside your building. Check
for and repair leaks. (Statistics indicate that 15 percent to 30 percent of
a facility’s steam traps are not working at any given time, causing
significant steam loss. We strongly recommend an annual trap survey and
maintenance and repair program.)
Our system representatives annually inspect and repair our own valve and
steam traps just inside each customer’s building. Feel free to ask us any
questions you have while we’re on site. We want you to receive the best
possible steam and chilled-water service year-round. To make service
requests, please contact Diane Wojcik at (860) 548-7357 or by
email.
Chilled-Water Startups – Preparing for Summer
Spring is the time to get your buildings ready to use Hartford Steam’s
chilled water as efficiently and reliably as possible. Here are some items
to consider as you prepare your own cooling system for the upcoming season:
• Flush all cooling coils and piping that were laid up for winter. Drain the
glycol into proper storage containers and flush the system with city water.
This is extremely important, as any glycol that ends up in the chilled-water
system feeds biological organisms that result in reduced chilled-water
clarity, increased plugging of system strainers and increased costs for you,
the customer.
• Refill all in-house chilled-water systems with city water and vent the
systems to release trapped air before opening the district cooling service
valves.
• Check coils to be sure there were no freeze-ups during the winter months.
• Clean and maintain the cooling coils. Cooling coils must be thoroughly
cleaned on a regular basis or they can become a breeding ground for a wide
range of biological organisms.
• Close
coil drain valves.
• Lubricate all pump and fan motors and bearings.
• Check all dampers, fans and louvers to ensure they work correctly.
• Calibrate controls.
• Clean and flush all chilled-water strainers.
• Set up variable-speed drives on building chilled-water pump circulators.
• Check the energy management system to ensure it’s ready for the cooling
season.
• Review and test cooling system set points and operational programs.
• Inspect, test and repair air handler and fan coil cooling control valves.
If you have questions or would like us to turn on your chilled-water meters
and open your primary chilled-water valves, please contact Diane Wojcik at
(860) 548-7357 or by email
We also can secure
the primary steam valve if you do not use steam during the summer months.
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The Hartford Steam
Company
60 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06103-2805
860-548-7350 / 860-548-7360 fax
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