Boiler Blowdown Tanks and Separators
ASME Section VIII, U-stamped blowdown tanks and blowdown separators in carbon steel. Tanks are sized to discharge to the drain under 140°F; separators get there with an aftercooler. For McKenna boilers and other brands.
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McKenna Boiler Works, Inc. builds boiler blowdown tanks and blowdown separators in Oceanside, California, to ASME Section VIII with the U stamp. Both are carbon steel and sized for the boiler application. Blowdown tanks are sized to discharge under 140°F and come with built-in vents. Blowdown separators are sized so that, with an aftercooler, discharge to the drain is under 140°F. Aftercoolers are available on both. Many sizes are in stock, and custom sizes are built to order. McKenna blowdown equipment works with McKenna boilers and other brands. Call (323) 987-1816.
At a glance
Blowdown tank and separator specifications.
Every McKenna blowdown tank and separator is sized to the boiler it serves. Your proposal lists the vessel size, connections, vents, and aftercooler.
Type
Blowdown tank or blowdown separator
Code
ASME Section VIII, U stamp
Material
Carbon steel
Sizing
Sized for your boiler application
Discharge
Under 140°F to the drain*
Vents
Built-in vents
Aftercooler
Available on tanks and separators
Works with
McKenna boilers and other brands
Availability
Many sizes in stock; call to see what’s available. Custom sizes built to order
*Blowdown tanks are sized to discharge under 140°F. Blowdown separators discharge under 140°F with an aftercooler.
Options
Blowdown tank or blowdown separator.
Which one fits?
A tank holds water and cools the blowdown on its own. A separator takes less room and uses an aftercooler to reach 140°F. A McKenna engineer will tell you which fits your plant.
Blowdown tank
- Holds water, so hot blowdown mixes with cooler water before it leaves.
- Sized to discharge under 140°F.
- Built-in vents carry flash steam away.
Blowdown separator
- Flash steam separates and vents out the top; water drains from the bottom.
- Smaller footprint than a tank.
- Sized so that, with an aftercooler, discharge to the drain is under 140°F.
Aftercooler
- Available on blowdown tanks and separators.
- Mixes in cooling water to bring the discharge temperature down.
- Needed on a separator to discharge under 140°F.
Standard on every McKenna blowdown tank and separator
- Built to ASME Section VIII and U-stamped
- Carbon steel construction
- Sized for your boiler application
- Sized for discharge under 140°F (separators with an aftercooler)
Tank or separator
Two ways to get blowdown under 140°F.
California Plumbing Code Section 810.1 does not allow water above 140°F to be discharged under pressure directly into a drainage system. A blowdown tank cools the discharge by holding water; a separator flashes off the steam and uses an aftercooler to bring the discharge under 140°F. The local inspector accepts the blowdown design on each job. Both are pressure vessels built under our ASME U certificate. For out-of-state jobs, we size to the local plumbing code.
Blowdown tank
Blowdown separator
How it cools
Holds water; blowdown mixes with it
Does not hold water; aftercooler cools it
Discharge under 140°F
Sized to do it on its own
With an aftercooler