Every boiler like boiler service surrey for example usually represents a high investment for companies, being designed to create an incredible amount of heat and hot water steam almost non-stop. Thus, any problem regarding the correct functioning of the boiler can affect the progress of the industrial process, invariably representing a financial loss.

These problems associated with malfunctioning boilers tend to be quite varied but are mainly linked to a lack of maintenance and incorrect operation of the equipment. Discover the most important precautions to keep your boiler up to date.

Avoid Low Water Conditions

Every boiler needs water to function, so the potential for severe damage to a boiler due to low water conditions is easy to imagine, and boilers are high-temperature equipment. In this context, some of the most common causes of low water conditions are:

• Feed water pump and control valve failure
• Loss of water to the makeup water system
• Battery level controller failure;
• Battery level controller inadvertently left in the “manual” position;
• Loss of air pressure from the installation to control the valve actuator;
• Safety valve lifting

Due to this need for water, most modern boilers are equipped with automatic water drop switches. However, some older boilers may not have these devices. If this is the case with your boiler, do not waste time and start the installation immediately. Due to the high hazard, water conditions must be constantly monitored and addressed through routine maintenance, ensuring operational efficiency and equipment safety.

Keep The Concentration Of Solids In The Water Within Limits

The excessive presence of suspended solids and silica is responsible for causing serious damage to the boiler, such as incrustation, a decrease in the quality of the thermal exchange, and an increase in fuel consumption. As such, the concentration of undesirable solids in a boiler must be reduced through proper feedwater treatment and operation of a continuous blowdown system, in addition to regularly performing intermittent blowdowns.

The main purpose of traps is to keep the boiler water solids concentration within certain acceptable limits. Several factors, including dissolved solids, suspended solids, silica, and alkalinity, can determine the discharge rate. Notably, as the operating pressure increases, the limits become more stringent. This can require an extremely high discharge rate if sodium zeolite softening is the feedwater treatment method. To decrease the discharge rate and control the silica concentration, a total demineralized water treatment system can be used as it removes anions and cations instead of replacing them with other ions.

Prioritize Water Treatment

An important point of control in the operation of a boiler, focusing on its longevity, efficiency, and safety, is the quality of the feed water and the quality of the water used in the boiler. Boiler feedwater is treated to protect it primarily against two basic problems: the buildup of solid deposits and corrosion.

As for the accumulation of solid deposits in the pipes, the best way to avoid them in the boiler feed water is to reduce them to acceptable limits, where the higher the operating pressure and temperature of the boiler, the more stringent the requirements for the proper treatment of feed water. The most effective method of controlling corrosion inside the boiler is proper water deaeration, i.e., removal of oxygen from the water, as this removal drastically reduces the potential for corrosion.

This removal is usually accomplished using deaerators. These units typically use steam to preheat the feedwater and remove oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases from the makeup water. Oxygen-scavenging chemicals are also commonly injected into the system to provide additional protection. In addition, the boiler’s steam drum often delivers chemicals in a controlled manner for even greater protection. So, if you want to keep your boiler up to date, be especially careful with the quality of the water used.

William Shipe