Condensate is purified water. It is distilled water. It may have some chemical treatment left in it which is valuable. Most of all, it is hot water. It is less expensive to regenerate hot condensate back into steam than it would be to heat cold makeup water into steam. Every BTU (heat energy) is valuable and that which remains in the condensate is no exception. In the past, the focus of condensate removal was generally in main steam process areas only. Condensate contains heat, chemicals, and water. It is usually as much as one third of the cost of generating steam!

One of the best energy-saving measures for most steam systems is returning condensate to the boiler instead of dumping it to drain. Condensate contains a high percentage of the energy (typically 16 percent) used to produce steam. Recovery and return of all possible condensate back to the boiler plant is the best method for cost containment and improved energy efficiency while providing a safe work environment.