Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

We know that renting boilers, whether in an emergency, for scheduled maintenance, or to meet peak-season demands, can be full of surprises. Frequently, even experienced renters are surprised by what isn't included with most rental boilers. And most surprises are expensive - both in time and money.

Before you make a rental commitment call Nationwide Boiler, the "No Surprise" boiler professionals and ask if the above items are included, then call our competitors. We will do whatever it takes to make sure your rental project is a success, without any unpleasant surprise!

1.    Boiler Inspection
Have you inspected the boiler for plugged tubes, age, electrical etc? Some people rent boilers like calling a used car lot, negotiate price and then make a deal over the phone. This can be disastrous.

2.   Freight
Are the freight charges firm? Some boilers may have to take indirect route (road clearance problems) costing many thousand of dollars extra.

3.    In-transit Rental
When does the rent start and stop? On rail shipment, delays are common and your rent can keep running for three or four weeks in each direction adding one-two month's of unexpected rent.

4.    Steam Header Valve
Is one included with the boiler? New ones cost between $2,000.00 and $8,000.00 each.

5.   Blowdown Valves
Are they included? New ones cost $200.00 to $1,000.00 each. Are they mounted or shipped loose?

6.   Voltage
Is the boiler set up for proper voltage prior to shipment? Is the fan starter included? These items can save you money on fieldwork.

7.   Smokestack
Is one included and does it have properly sized transition pieces? Does it have to be shipped on separate truck? Freestanding stacks can be a real problem installing and removing. This can mean considerable fieldwork and expense.

8.   Control Panel
Is the panel mounted on the boiler or shipped loose? Is it weatherproof? Considerable time and expense in field wiring and tubing is common with remote panels.

9.   Guarantee
What will the boiler company cover on parts and callbacks? Some companies say return the broken part to the factory and you pay freight and installation labor.

10.   Economizer
Is one included and is it pre-piped? Do you need separate support and transition pieces? Will it be costly to install and remove?

11.    Blower
Is the blower on the boiler or shipped loose on a separate truck? This could be expensive for freight and installation costs.

12.   Weather Proof
Is the boiler designed for outdoor use? If not, additional cost will be involved to build an enclosure. Electrical controls could be water soaked during installation and shipping.

13.   Hydrostatic Test
Will you be charged for a hydrostatic test when the boiler is returned?

14.   Shipping Damage
Will you have to go back to the carrier to cover broken parts, etc. during shipment or will the rental company assume responsibility?

15.   Loading & Shoring of Refractory
Will you be charged for loading at the storage location including blocking of the firebrick? This can cost $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 and the same when you load out at job-site. This could mean $4,000.00 to $10,000.00 of unexpected cost.

16.   Safety Valves
Are the boiler safety valves set at the proper pressure to protect your steam system? If not, you may need new valves costing $200.00 to over $1,500.000 each or have them reset for $200.00 to over $600.00 each.

17.   Oil Pump
Is a pump set needed and is it included in the rental price? Is it pre-piped and wired as an integral part of the boiler unit? If not included, this could cost $500.00 to $5,000.00 material and labor over the rental cost.

18.    Testing
Has the proposed rental boiler been test fired recently? Is it coming direct from another job without shop check out? If this is the case many start-up problems can develop causing delays.

19.   Maintenance
Will you be charged for routine maintenance when boiler is returned to storage? Some charge for new gaskets, gauge glasses, painting, cleaning, washout, and flat tires on trailer and refractory repairs.

20.   Catwalks & Ladders
Is the boiler supplied with catwalks & ladders? These items can save you valuable time and money during installation and operation. Savings of $500.00 to $2,000.00 in man-hours are not uncommon.

The removal of dissolved oxygen from boiler feedwater is absolutely necessary to protect your boiler equipment from severe corrosion. To ensure trouble-free boiler operation, a good deaerator is essential.

Deaerators in industrial steam systems are mechanical devices used to remove air and other dissolved gases from boiler feedwater in order to protect the system from corrosion. Dissolved oxygen in boiler feedwater will attach to the walls of metal piping and other metallic equipment and will form oxides (rust). It also combines with any dissolved carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid that causes further corrosion. A dissolved oxygen level of 5 parts per billion (PPB) or lower is needed to prevent corrosion in most high pressure boilers, accomplished by reducing the concentration of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide to a level where corrosion is minimized.

The two major types of deaerators are the tray type and the spray type. In both cases, the major portion of gas removal is accomplished by spraying cold makeup water into a steam environment.

Tray-type deaerating heaters release dissolved gases in the incoming water by reducing it to a fine spray as it cascades over several rows of trays. The steam that makes intimate contact with the water droplets then scrubs the dissolved gases by its counter-current flow. The steam heats the water to within 3-5º F of the steam saturation temperature and it should remove all but the very last traces of oxygen. The deaerated water then falls to the storage space below, where a steam blanket protects it from recontamination.

Nozzles and trays should be inspected regularly to insure that they are free of deposits and are in their proper position.

Spray-type deaerating heaters work on the same general philosophy as the tray-type, but differ in their operation. Spring-loaded nozzles located in the top of the unit spray the water into a steam atmosphere that heats it. The steam heats the water, and at the elevated temperature the solubility of oxygen is extremely low and most of the dissolved gases are removed from the system by venting. The spray will reduce the dissolved oxygen content to 20-50 ppb, while the scrubber or trays further reduce the oxygen content to approximately 7 ppb or less.

During normal operation, the vent valve must be open to maintain a continuous plume of vented vapors and steam at least 18 inches long. If this valve is throttled too much, air and non-condensable gases will accumulate in the deaerator. This is known as air blanketing and can be remedied by increasing the vent rate.

For optimum oxygen removal, the water in the storage section must be heated to within 5º F of the temperature of the steam at saturation conditions. From inlet to outlet, the water is deaerated in less than 10 seconds. Call us today is you have additional questions about deaerators and how important they are to your entire system.

If you love tuna then you are most likely already familiar with Chicken of the Sea. The company is opening a canning operation in Lyons, GA and they have selected Nationwide Boiler to supply a 650 hp (22,500 lbs/hr) Mobile Boiler Room for temporary steam. The new 200,000 square-foot facility will create 200 jobs around Toombs County and it is expected to be fully operational by October 2009.

Michael Medina, Nationwide Boiler's Rental Manager, shares the excitement the new plant has brought to local residents. “This new plant is a major accomplishment for Chicken of the Sea and the surrounding community. We are proud that our boiler will allow the plant to efficiently produce their tuna and quickly bring it to market throughout the United States

The Chicken of the Sea brand and famous Mermaid icon are among the most recognized brands in America. Nationwide Boiler is proud that we can do our part (as small as it may be) to make sure it stays that way.

Nationwide Boiler recently shipped two 70,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted boilers and one 140,000 lb/hr feedwater van to Qatar as part of Qatar Petroleum and Shell's Pearl GTL project.

We took some incredible photographs of our units being shipped on the Mignon, measuring over 227 meters in length and with a car capacity of 7,200 units. Read the complete Press Release online.

The equipment is currently in transit where it will await initial start-up services and full time operation by Nationwide Boiler. Be sure to check back later when we discuss the logistics and planning involved in shipping the units back home!