In many plants continuously cracking, or bleeding, a ball valve is a common technique for draining condensate from a compressed air system. This practice is often applied to remove liquid from moisture separators, receiver tanks, coalescing filters, single tower deliquescent dryers, and drop legs. In addition to removing condensate, the cracking of a ball valve also allows compressed air to escape the system. This air loss creates an "artificial demand" on the compressor, translating to unnecessary energy consumption. The following online tool calculates the actual cost of this wasteful practice. Simply input the number of hours per week that a single valve is being cracked, the price of electricity per kilowatt hour, and the size of the valve. The annual cost of compressed air loss is estimated.

The alternative to continuously bleeding a ball valve is to install an automatic drain valve. An automatic drain valve can operate on either a timed or demand basis. In either case, a minimal initial investment is rapidly returned, as reflected in reduced energy costs.