What is the main consideration for the installation location of a relief valve?

The main consideration for the installation location of a relief valve centers around the pressure conditions of the system. Safety relief valves are designed to protect the system from overpressure by allowing excess pressure to escape. For this function to be effective, the relief valve must be connected directly to the system in a way that enables it to sense and respond to the actual pressure conditions accurately.

If the relief valve is too far from the boiler or not properly positioned within the system, it may not react promptly to pressure surges, potentially leading to unsafe situations. Therefore, the immediate pressure conditions at the point of relief valve installation are critical for ensuring timely activation when necessary to release pressure and maintain system safety. This ensures that the valve can operate under conditions that truly reflect the pressure the boiler experiences, thereby protecting against overpressure conditions.

Factors such as accessibility for maintenance, proximity to the boiler, and environmental temperature, while important for practical and operational reasons, do not directly influence the primary function of the relief valve in responding to system pressure. Hence, they are secondary to the essential requirement of pressure considerations in the valve's installation.