Typical Ways Steam Traps are Installed ... and how this affects the differential pressure.
Depending on the installation of the steam trap, the pressure at the outlet of the trap can vary significantly.
It is important to understand the trap Outlet Pressure as this will affect the differential pressure used for sizing and selecting the appropriate steam trap.
Furthermore,there could be instances where steam supply pressure to the inlet of the trap is insufficient to "push" the condensate into the return line.
The following diagrams show: 1) discharging condensate to atmosphere,
2) discharging condensate into gravity return line,
3)discharging condensate into an elevated and/or pressurized return line.