TL;DR
A jacket pressure trip stops the cycle and indicates the steam supply or pressure control system is overpressuring the jacket. Check the control valve and pressure transmitter before restarting.
What you might see
- jacket pressure high alarm tripping the cycle
- steam jacket safety relief discharging
- jacket pressure controller not responding to setpoint change
- cycle aborting at jacket pre-heat step
Likely causes
Pressure control valve stuck open delivering full supply pressure to the jacket
Pressure transmitter fault causing the controller to drive the valve to full open
Steam supply pressure exceeding the autoclave jacket design pressure
Condensate backup in the jacket from a failed steam trap reducing volume and raising pressure
Required tools
- Calibrated reference pressure gauge
- LOTO kit
- PPE: thermal gloves and face shield for steam systems
Safety first
- Autoclave jacket steam is at elevated pressure. Confirm the jacket is fully depressurized before disconnecting any instrumentation or valves.
- A discharged pressure relief valve must be inspected and re-certified or replaced before the next cycle. A valve that has lifted may not re-seat properly.
- Do not bypass or block the jacket pressure relief valve under any circumstances.
Procedure
- 1
Abort the current cycle. Confirm steam supply is isolated and jacket pressure is at zero before proceeding.
Warning: Jacket steam is at elevated pressure and temperature. Confirm zero pressure before disconnecting any fitting or removing the relief valve. - 2
Read the jacket pressure transmitter output and compare to the local pressure gauge reading. A large discrepancy indicates transmitter fault.[1]
- 3
Check the steam supply pressure upstream of the jacket control valve. If supply pressure is above the jacket design pressure, investigate the supply side.[1]
- 4
Test the jacket pressure control valve by commanding it to close. Verify the valve physically closes with a visual check or downstream pressure drop.
- 5
Inspect the jacket condensate steam trap. A failed-closed trap causes condensate backup and pressure buildup.
- 6
If the pressure relief valve discharged, inspect it for seat damage and re-set or replace per site policy.
- 7
Recalibrate the jacket pressure transmitter against a reference gauge before returning the autoclave to service.
Sources
Steris Steris Amsco V-Pro / Lifecycle Autoclave / Sterilizer general technical documentation, Steris
Steris Amsco V-Pro / Lifecycle autoclave general jacket pressure control and safety procedures (general)
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