The Challenge
A health service organisation was experiencing excessive wet loads out of a steam sterilizer.
Wet loads can disrupt reprocessing operations and require investigation to determine what is affecting the performance of the sterilization process. While the sterilizer itself may appear to be the obvious place to start, the supporting steam infrastructure can also influence process performance.
SVA was asked to investigate.
Looking Beyond the Sterilizer
An SVA technician attended site and, as part of the investigation, inspected the steam lines supplying the sterilizer.
The inspection identified an unexpected issue: steam traps within the system had been installed upside down, despite the correct installation orientation being clearly marked on the traps themselves.
Steam traps are an important part of a steam system, allowing condensate to be removed while retaining steam within the system. Incorrect installation can interfere with their operation and compromise effective condensate removal.
Identifying the Issue
SVA documented the installation problem and advised the health service organisation of the finding so that it could be rectified.
Although straightforward once identified, the issue demonstrates why troubleshooting sterilization performance needs to consider more than the sterilizer itself. Steam quality, services, pipework and associated components can all form part of the wider system supporting a sterilization process.
The Outcome
The health service organisation arranged for the incorrectly installed steam traps to be rectified following SVA’s investigation.
Most importantly, the investigation provided the facility with an identified infrastructure issue that could be addressed, rather than continuing to focus only on the sterilizer or treating the wet loads as an isolated operational problem.
The case highlights the value of taking a whole-of-system approach when investigating unexpected reprocessing performance. Sometimes the source of the problem is not the equipment producing the visible symptom, but the infrastructure supporting it.
How SVA helped
SVA’s whole-of-system approach looked beyond the sterilizer to consider the supporting steam infrastructure and associated components. Drawing on specialist knowledge and practical experience, SVA identified an unexpected installation issue and provided the facility with a clear cause to investigate and rectify.
This case study illustrates circumstances encountered during a specific project. Findings and outcomes are specific to the circumstances described and may not be applicable to other equipment, processes or facilities.
SVA resources may be shared in their original, unmodified form with appropriate attribution. Reproduction, adaptation or use for commercial purposes requires prior written permission from SVA.
Copyright © 2026 Process Validation & Design Pty Ltd T/As Sterilizer Validation Australia [SVA]. All rights reserved.
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