Boilers Overview

Last Updated: May 15th, 2019

Types of boilers

There are two main types of boilers - Steam Boilers and Hot Water Boilers

Steam boilers are much more powerful than hot water boilers and are typically used in industrial applications where steam or hot water is required.  

Hot Water Boilers are less efficient at heat transfer but can also use less energy to operate.  They are typically used in smaller industrial applications for heating needs.

At the most fundamental level, all boilers operate in the same fashion of using a heat source to convert water to steam.  Depending on the specific requirements of your process, boilers can range in size, style, and performance. Click here to learn more about how boilers work.

Pretreatment

Because calcium and magnesium are inversely soluble with temperature, meaning they want to come out of solution as temperature increases, and steam boilers are exceptionally hot, it is very important to pre-treat the water before it makes it’s way to a steam boiler.  In fact, less than 1 part per million of hard water going into a boiler can cause scale to form on boiler tubes. Here is more information on different pretreatment options and the pros/cons to each

Chemical Water Treatment

The water inside a boiler can be extremely corrosive, and scale forming.  It is critical to make sure the proper chemicals are being injected into the boiler system in the right locations.  Click here to find out which chemicals are best used in each application and where the most ideal injection points are.