Boiler Blog Archive | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

The boiler rental business began over fifty years ago, solving multiple industries’ need for temporary and emergency steam. Nationwide Boiler was at the forefront of the boiler rental industry, starting off with one of the first mobile rental boilers; a 20,000 lb/hr, 300 psig design, O-type package watertube boiler. This boiler was designed for permanent use on a highway-legal open deck trailer, making it a true mobile boiler. This new idea allowed companies to cut capital costs, save time, and be more efficient in their operations. Now, rental boilers are available for small-scale projects to industrial sized applications.

In last month’s edition of Boiler Basics 101, we discussed why rental boilers are a great choice for boiler owners in a variety of industries. To continue the topic, we will now discuss the different types of rental boilers currently on the market.

Trailer-Mounted Boilers

• Permanently installed on highway-legal trailers for easy transport by truck
• Boilers of various sizes up to 125,000 lb/hr, both saturated and superheated steam
• Detachable goosenecks and booster extensions allow for easy removal when space is limited
• Not protected from the weather and precautions must be taken for freeze protection (heat tracing and insulation or temporary housing shelters)
• Separate feedwater and water treatment systems and other auxiliaries can be provided to support the boiler, as needed

Skid-Mounted Boilers

• Shop-assembled package boilers, without any true mobility
• Available in capacities up to 250,000 lb/hr
• Depending on the size of the boiler, skid-mounted boilers can be transported on a flat-bed trailer, step-deck trailer, or by rail
• Cranes and/or forklifts typically required for both loading and offloading
• Not protected from the weather and precautions must be taken for freeze protection (heat tracing and insulation or temporary housing shelters)
• Separate feedwater and water treatment systems and other auxiliaries can be provided to support the boiler, as needed

Containerized Mobile Boilers

• Typically includes a package firetube boiler, installed inside a container and mounted on a chassis for mobility
• Ideal for users who need a boiler-only package that is weatherproofed for outdoor operation in the wintertime
• Separate feedwater and water treatment systems and other auxiliaries can be provided to support the boiler, as needed

Mobile Boiler Rooms

The Western Regional Boiler Association Conference will take place March 15-17th at the Hilton Eugene & Conference Center in Eugene, Oregon. Nationwide Boiler's Rental Manager, Michael Medina, will be attending the show and he will be on site to answer questions pertaining to Emergency Contingency Planning and temporary boiler solutions.

Nationwide Boiler's presentation, Guidelines for Preparing for a Temporary Steam Plant, was presented during last year's conference and it provided attendees with a general overview of what's required when renting a boiler and what stages of planning are necessary when renting boilers. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this presentation, please contact us at info@nationwideboiler.com, or come and visit us at the conference. You can also download Nationwide's free Emergency Preparedness Guide to ensure that your facility's contingency plan is in place and ready, should an emergency arise.

Nationwide Boiler's rental fleet consists of many boilers in a variety of steam output capacities and design pressures. Some boilers in  our rental fleet remain rental units throughout their useful life, while others find permanent homes through used boiler sales. One unit in particular has seen the best of both worlds. 

This 70,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted package watertube boiler was originally manufacutred in 1997 and was an active part of our rental fleet for roughly 14 years. In 2011 it was purchased by one of Nationwide Boiler’s valued customers in Newark, CA, less than 5 miles from our headquarters in Fremont. In addition to the boiler package itself, we supplied our CataStak™ SCR system for sub 5 ppm NOx emissions and removed the boiler from the trailer for permanent installation within their facility.