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Many reducing valve problems are caused by the presence of moisture or dirt. A steam separator and strainer with fine mesh screen, if fitted before the valve, will help to prevent such problems. The strainer is fitted on its side to prevent the body filling with water and to ensure that the full area of the screen is effective. Large isolation valves will also benefit from being installed on their side for the same reason.

All upstream and downstream pipework and fittings must be adequately sized to ensure that the only appreciable pressure drop occurs across the reducing valve itself. If the isolating valves are the same size as the reducing valve connections, they will incur a larger pressure drop than if they are sized to match the correctly sized, larger diameters of the upstream and downstream pipework.

If the downstream pipework or any connected plant is incapable of withstanding the maximum possible upstream pressure, then a safety valve or relief valve must be fitted on the downstream side. This valve should be set at, or below, the maximum allowable working pressure of the equipment, but with a sufficient margin above its normal operating pressure. It must be capable of handling the full volume of steam that could pass through the fully open reducing valve, at the maximum possible upstream pressure.

Pilot operation also allows the reducing valve to be relatively compact compared to other valves of similar capacity and accuracy, and allows a variety of control options, such as on-off operation, dual pressure control, pressure and temperature control, pressure reducing and surplussing control, and remote manual adjustment. Three of these variations can be seen in Figure 7.3.6.

Direct acting and pilot-operated control valves can be used to control either upstream or downstream pressures. Pressure maintaining valves (and surplussing valves) sense upstream pressure, while pressure reducing valves sense downstream pressure.