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Get The Most Out Of Your Steam Boiler With These 3 Tips

For many companies, a boiler is one of the most efficient ways to produce heat. Steam boilers are great at providing dust-free heat that is much cleaner than other types of heating systems. While it is an older style of heating, its efficiency and dependability ensures that you can get a great amount of heat. In order to continue its efficiency, you need to perform proper maintenance on it. The best way to determine the condition of a boiler is to visually inspect the inside metal portion of the steam boiler. It is important to place your boiler on a maintenance plan and perform some of the maintenance on your own in between professional visits. Here are some tips for extending the life out of steam boiler. 

Insulate Your Piping

One of the most effective ways of keeping your steam boiler running is by insulating all the piping. You can lose up to five times the heat from uninsulated piping than from fiberglass insulated piping. Additionally, without insulation, the steam cools down and eventually condensates. The more it condensates, the more carbon dioxide it will absorb, causing the condensate to become dirtier. To keep the condensate cleaner, this can be done by covering the piping with a layer of fiberglass. Not only will you get cleaner heat, but you should see a reduction in your heating bill.

Perform a Combustion Analysis

To ensure your burner is running at peak efficiency, it is crucial to perform a combustion analysis on the burner. Not only can the combustion analysis help determine your fuel efficiency, but it can also help for safety reasons. Understanding the levels of carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide will allow you to adjust the burner as needed. Checking the measurements listed on the screen can be compared to the manufacturer's specifications. In general, your numbers should be around 6% to 8% of oxygen, 7% to 9% of carbon dioxide, and about 400ppm of carbon monoxide present. 

Check the Main Vents

Steam should be able to move freely within the boiler. In order for this to happen, you want to check to make sure the main vents are not only installed but that they are working like they should. The steam begins in the main vent and needs to be able to move the air to areas with lower pressure. Otherwise, your boiler will start short cycling causing you to use more fuel. 

Click on the link for used boilers or do an online search. 


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