STEAM DISTRIBUTING COIL

---

The whole idea behind a Steam Distributing Coil is to insert an inner tube down the entire length of the outer tube. The steam is distributed down the inner tube evenly. There are holes in the inner tube that are spaced approximately 9″ to 12″ apart.  As the steam turns to condensate (as it travels down the inner tube), the condensate is released through these holes to the outer tube. Whatever steam doesn’t turn to condensate is eventually dumped out the end of the open inner tube to the outer tube.

The outer tube is “capped” with no return bends, so that the condensate under pressure has no place to go but back down the outer tube toward the manifold where the steam originally came from.

The idea behind the original design of this coil was to evenly distribute the steam and the condensate throughout the distributing coil so there are no “dead spots” or “cold spots” in the coil. 

After much testing, it was found that a side benefit was that this type of coil was much more difficult to freeze than the standard conventional steam coil. Hence, the name “Non-freeze” surfaced. The steam traveling down the inner tube kept the condensate traveling the opposite direction in the outer tube from freezing.

Today it’s an accepted industry practice to install these coils in applications where entering air temperatures are 40°F or below. Keep in mind however, that Non-freeze coils don’t freeze easily, but it’s possible to freeze them under the right conditions, and it happens often.