Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

Once winter arrives it is a good time to remind our customers about how to properly prepare for freezing temperatures.  This not only applies to when a boiler is in operation, but also when a boiler is down or in transport.  The guidelines below will help get you started, but contact Nationwide Boiler if you have any further questions: 1-800-227-1967.

Freeze Protection Guidelines

Freezing conditions pose a huge risk to boiler equipment if it is not properly protected from the harsh elements. In order to ensure that your unit continues to operate while facing freezing conditions, Nationwide Boiler recommends the following:

  1. Enclose both the front and rear of the boiler area and use an external heat source to minimize freezing conditions.

  2. Install heat tracing with insulation to protect exposed stagnant water lines.

  3. Utilize an appropriate heat tracing method (electric or steam tracing) to all of your main lines and piping components.
      This includes the following lines which should be heat traced regardless if the boiler is in operation or not
      (in freezing conditions): sensing lines (steam drum to CMR, high steam and steam gauge), auxiliary
      low-water-cut-off, water column and level control blowdown. Depending on the length of piping runs,
      the main and continuous blowdown should also be heat traced.

  4. In addition to heat tracing on stagnant sensing lines, drain the lines and fill them with a 50/50 (water/glycol) solution,
      making sure to re-connect the line.

  5. When an extended boiler down time is expected, completely drain the boiler and stagnant water lines.

NOTE: The above lines are considered stagnant lines and should be heat traced regardless if the boiler is in operation or not (freezing conditions).

Nationwide Boiler continues to gain worldwide presence and representation, signing ten new representative agreements just this year. The most recent companies to join the list include Campbell-Sevey in Minnetonka, MN, Illingworth Engineering Co. in Jacksonville, FL, and Gates Technology International (GTI) in Tulsa, OK.

Both Campbell-Sevey and Illingworth Engineering Co. have a history representing Nationwide Boiler in the past, but the newly signed agreements draw out exclusive territories of representation for the two companies. Campbell-Sevey’s exclusive territories include South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and counties in Wisconsin, while Illingworth Engineering will be representing Nationwide Boiler in parts of both Florida and Georgia. Combined, the two companies have over one hundred and forty-five years of industry experience and expertise providing boilers and boiler related equipment to their customers. Like Nationwide Boiler, both companies are committed to providing excellent customer service and value to their customers.

Jack Gates, founder of Gates Technology International, is an independent consultant to the petrochemical and refinery markets with technical expertise in fired heater equipment and heat transfer. GTI recently secured their first CataStak™ Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system sale for a fired heater application located in Texas. With over forty years of industry experience, Jack Gates is considered a resident expert in the field, and he consults to most of the major fired heater manufacturers, specifically in Israel and the Middle East, on a variety of technical issues focused mainly on environmental emissions. GTI will be assisting Nationwide Boiler by providing key strategic initiatives regarding the application of CataStak™ environmental solutions.

We would like to welcome these companies to Nationwide Boiler and look forward to working together to provide superior steam and environmental solutions.

For almost a decade boiler manufactures and operators have been waiting for the federal government to determine what must be done to meet stricter emission standards for toxic air pollutants.  As published recently by Power Engineering, industry officials now say the new standards won’t be unveiled until November to December and the EPA’s revised Boiler MACT rule remains under review by the Office of Budget Management’s regulatory affairs division.

The final rule establishes national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants (Mercury, PM, hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide) for industrial, commercial and institutional boilers.  It applies to major sources that emit 10 or more tons a year of any single pollutant of 25 tons or more a year of any combination.  It will also require annual boiler tune-ups in some instances.  In total, the EPA estimates the cost of adding new controls will exceed $5 billion and some sources indicated that it would force power producers to retire about 4.7 GW of coal-fired capacity, due to high compliance costs.

Once the revised rule is finalized, boilers owners and operators will have three years to comply.  This is in addition to other existing clean-air rules the industry has to comply with.  However, despite the unique challenges the industry may face, boiler manufactures and associated suppliers are ready to tackle future compliance challenges.  Overall, the boiler industry has the technology and know-how available to provide immediate solutions.

“We can only hope that OMB is doing more toward achieving compromises and consensus than just sitting on its hands for political purposes,” explains Randy Rawson, ABMA President and CEO.

Three new ultra low NOx (ULN) mobile boiler rooms have been added to Nationwide Boiler Inc’s growing fleet of rental boiler systems.  The boilers have been specifically designed, manufactured and assembled to meet the increasing demand of steam for commercial and industrial boiler users located in California and other parts of the nation who must comply with strict air emission requirements. All three units have been pre-certified to comply with permitting agencies including the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

The three new units include a pair of 47.5 hp (200 psig) ULN boilers enclosed in 27’ single axle vans and one 650 hp (250 psig) ULN boiler enclosed in a 53’ van.  All boilers include 9 ppm gas-fired burners (with the option to fire propane fuel), deaerators, feedwater pumps, chemical treatment systems, blowdown separators and sample cooler stations.

For more information about these boiler systems and other units in our rental fleet, visit our website at www.nationwideboiler.com.