Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

The nature of the rental business is ever-changing, and at any moment a customer can call and need a mobile boiler shipped out immediately. Recently, one of Nationwide Boiler’s long-time customers required two industrial rental boilers for an emergency outage during repairs to their large power boiler. To keep operations running and to minimize plant downtime, Nationwide was there to assist every step of the way.

Nationwide Boiler is the largest rental boiler supplier on the west coast. With a rental fleet of over 100 boilers, Nationwide is well equipped to provide equipment for planned, unplanned, and emergency outages worldwide. Our top-most priority is our customers, and we will go out of our way to make sure we are able to address their needs effectively and efficiently.

Read our press release to learn how Nationwide Boiler’s Rental Manager, Tim McBride, solved an immediate boiler need at this pulp and paper facility.

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).

• The above are recommendations; however, use sound engineering judgment calls when there are concerns of possible freeze damage to the equipment. 

Nationwide Boiler is known as being an innovative leader in the rental boiler industry. Over fifty years ago we pioneered the mounting of a 24,000 lb/hr package watertube boiler to a highway-legal trailer, and followed with many other firsts including the world’s largest trailer-mounted saturated and superheated steam boilers (125,000 lb/hr and 110,000 lb/hr, respectively).

In this age of digital technology and pandemic isolation requirements, Nationwide Boiler’s control division, Pacific Combustion Engineering, realized the need for virtual factory acceptance testing (FAT). An FAT is an essential element of the testing and acceptance of new critical control systems. The main goal of this test is to prove and certify performance built for a specific application and ensure all design requirements are attained.

Pacific Combustion’s new test gear consists of a 19” HMI that replaces toggle switches, indicating lights, potentiometers, and analog gauges. A PLC drives relays and consists of contacts that can be configured for the voltage that is required for input simulation. Outputs are displayed via selectable 120vac and 24vdc terminals. Analog 4-20ma inputs are selectable as either loop or self-powered.

During the virtual FAT, a web portal is accessible by the client through an audio/video link to the testing, and the client can actually operate the test rig HMI screen from their location. Links are also furnished to the burner management / combustion control system PLC and HMI.

This is a truly unique innovation at a time where travel can be difficult, providing an alternative to the traditional FAT and allowing business to continue even in heightened times like a global pandemic.

For more details on our virtual FATs, be sure to check out our upcoming feature in Process Heating Magazine. We will post the direct link as soon as it's available. And be sure to give Pacific Combustion Engineering a call to assist with your next control system upgrade. 360-335-1443

Temporary steam will be necessary at some point in the lifetime of a boiler, so boiler owners should be prepared and know what rental boiler options are out there. Let’s review one of the most convenient rental boiler types available on the market today: The Mobile Boiler Room.

Mobile Boiler Rooms come in a wide range of sizes, typically ranging from 50 to 1,000 hp with design pressures of up to 290 psig. They are completely pre-piped and wired and incorporate all necessary auxiliary equipment for a functioning mobile steam plant. This typically includes a feedwater system, duplex water softener, chemical feed system, blowdown separator, and motor control center. Some units are dual-fuel fired, while others are natural gas only to achieve ultra-low NOx emissions compliance. In addition, Nationwide Boiler maintains multiple units that are pre-permitted for use in the SCAQMD to help simplify the air permitting process for our customers.

Mobile Boiler Rooms are often utilized in heavy commercial and industrial applications for added capacity or for supplemental steam. Some of the main advantages to this type of system include:

   - A Mobile Boiler Room is permanently mounted to a highway-legal trailer, so there is no time lost locating a suitable trailer
     for transportation.
   - Being permanently mounted to a trailer also avoids the need for cranes for loading and un-loading, saving both time and money.
   - Mobile Boiler Rooms are completely enclosed and fully weatherproof – no need for temporary enclosures.
   - No expensive and time-consuming foundations are necessary. Only a reasonably level surface is required.
   - All the necessary auxiliary equipment is included, pre-piped and wired. This saves valuable field time and expense.
   - Customers only connect the steam, fuel, water, and electricity drains, everything else is assembled and ready to go.

A Mobile Boiler Room is the closest you can get to a “plug-and-play” rental boiler system. They provide a packaged temporary steam plant that can be up and running in hours if an emergency need arises.  In fact, units have been installed and operational in just eight hours after arrival.

Visit our website to see all rental boilers available from Nationwide Boiler and give us a call today to assist with your next planned or unplanned temporary steam project.