Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

The food processing industry relies heavily on companies like Nationwide Boiler for providing temporary steam for seasonal production, especially every summer when tomato season rolls around. One report indicates that California accounts for more than 90 percent of the U.S. production of tomatoes and in 2008 the state recorded a $953 million crop. As a food staple, tomatoes can be found in one form of another in most every household and are used in ketchup, pizza and pasta sauce and salsa, and many other products requiring tomato paste.

Nationwide has always taken a proactive approach towards renting equipment to tomato processors located in California's Central Valley. To keep the industry running, it is vital that Nationwide stock an adequate amount of trailer-mounted boilers in anticipation of an abundant harvest, on top of equipment already rented out to customers in other industries. It is also important that Nationwide continually stay in contact with tomato processors well in advance of the start of the season to ensure equipment is available and operating prior to tomato delivery.

One prominent processor located near Modesto, CA recently rented a 70,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted boiler with a CataStakâ„¢ SCR system and an EconoStak economizer. As in previous years, the equipment was delivered as the company was preparing to ramp up production prior to the first tomato-laden trucks rolling in. The addition of the CataStak and EconoStak improved boiler efficiency and the boiler easily met the 5 ppm NOx emission requirement required by the local air district. Not only is Nationwide providing an immediate supply of steam, but the company is also providing an environmentally green solution.

The next time you enjoy ketchup with your fries or when you add an extra scoop of sauce to go with your spaghetti, remember that Nationwide Boiler was involved in making sure those tomatoes made it to your plate, and we expect to continue to do the same - time and time again.

The need to operate a boiler efficiently in today's environment and competitive landscape is at the top of many plant owners and operators list. Unfortunately operating a boiler efficiently while meeting local emission regulations do not always go hand in hand. However, advances in boiler system design and low NOx technology solutions have made this a much more achievable task.

The list below includes 10 tips which can instantly improve overall boiler performance and sustainability, helping to achieve more cost-effective maintenance and operations of your steam system.

This list, along with general guidelines for each, will be published in an upcoming issue of Process Heating magazine. Please email Nationwide if you are interested in obtaining a copy.

1.    Reduce Excess Air

2.    Install an Economizer

3.    Install a Condensing Economizer

4.    Upgrade to VFD Fan Controls

5.    Install a Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR) with a Standard Low Excess Air/No FGR Burner

6.    Perform Proper Water Treatment

7.    Reduce Boiler Pressure

8.    Consider Boiler Blowdown Heat Recovery

9.    Upgrade to a High Turndown Burner & Controls

10. Implement an Energy Efficiency Program

Nationwide Environmental Solutions is pleased to announce the signing of Combustion Designs, Inc. as its new East Coast Representative for the company's environmental product line. Combustion Designs will promote the sale of the CataStak(TM) SCR system for emissions reductions and other solutions for boilers, heaters, turbines and furnaces.

Check out the press release for additional information.

All boilers are subject to damage if proper chemical treatment, water analysis and blowdown procedures are not followed. If these items are ignored, both during operation and idle periods, serious damage to the boiler will result.

When Nationwide Boiler delivers a rental unit, it is the boiler operator's responsibility to maintain and supervise the water treatment conditions of their rental boiler in order to avoid any additional charges that may result from improper operation or maintenance. It is recommended that the services of a reputable boiler chemical consultant are retained in-order to supervise the water treatment conditions on a regular basis. At least once each week, daily boiler logs, chemical treatment tests, a chemical treatment consultant's report and maintenance records should be implemented and sent to Nationwide Boiler. This ensures that the proper maintenance is being done on the equipment and provides accurate maintenance reports for Nationwide's equipment files.

As a boiler operator it is important to inspect the waterside condition of watertube boilers that may result in heavy scale or oxygen pitting or corrosion. Waterside scale can be cause for concern on the reliability of a boiler by the following:

• If the boiler tubes contain heavy scale, tubes can overheat and/or fail leading to tube leaks


• If the boiler has some scale but it is not heavily deposited, certain types of water treatment plans can cause the scale to quickly be removed in large flakes, plugging tubes and eventually leading to overheating and tube failures


• Certain types of scale can be easily removed such as a conventional soft phosphate scale, while others are very difficult to remove such as silica

If scale is present, any scale greater than 1/8 inch or 0.125 inch should be removed from the boiler prior to placing it back in operation.

Oxygen corrosion is not as easily detected as scale. O2 pitting can occur under deposits and in very small areas that can escape detection by the naked eye. If O2 pitting is suspected, a tube needs to be removed from the boiler for more close examination.

Therefore, it is extremely important to assess the waterside condition of a boiler and then to determine the type of scale and the method for removing it. There are several methods for removing boiler scale including high pressure water blasting and other proprietary methods offered by water treatment representatives. Overall, with proper boiler maintenance and water treatment plans, such procedures can be avoided.

Examples of (1) Heavy Scale, (2) Medium Scale and (3) No Scale

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