🔍 Key Concepts

• Atmospheric drain tank function in a steam/condensate system • Normal condensate temperature returning from properly working steam traps • What happens if live steam (not just condensate) is allowed to pass through to the drain tank

💭 Think About

• For each choice, ask yourself: would this condition make the water in the atmospheric drain tank just warm, or excessively hot, near steam temperature? • Which option would allow steam (or very high‑temperature condensate) to reach the tank continuously, instead of cooled condensate? • Would a ruptured heating coil or loss of circulating water change the temperature, the purity/appearance, or both of the liquid in the drain tank?

✅ Before You Answer

• Compare normal condensate return temperature to saturation temperature of the steam in that system. • Decide which option most directly causes live steam or near‑saturation condensate to discharge into the tank, not just a change in flow rate. • For the ruptured coil and loss of circulating water options, check whether you’d mainly expect contamination/level changes or a clear, very hot condensate return.