Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

Every two years, the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) hosts the only BOILER focused conference and tradeshow, a gathering that serves as a catalyst for innovation, education, and collaboration within the boiler industry. While only the second of many future events, BOILER2024 lived up to its reputation bringing together industry leaders, business professionals, end-users and stakeholders to discuss the latest trends, technologies, and challenges facing the boiler industry.

As the demand for energy efficiency, sustainability, and reliability continues to grow, the insights and innovations shared at BOILER2024 are crucial for shaping the industry's response to these evolving needs. One of the standout features of BOILER2024 was its comprehensive lineup of educational sessions. These sessions covered a wide range of topics from emerging technologies and regulatory updates to best practices in boiler operation and maintenance. The knowledge shared during these sessions not only informed attendees but also inspired new ideas and approaches to addressing industry challenges.

Another notable highlight was the inaugural Women in Boiler Industry (WIBI) forum. This groundbreaking event provided a platform for women professionals in the boiler industry to connect, collaborate, and advocate for greater diversity and inclusion. By spotlighting the contributions of women in a traditionally male-dominated field, the WIBI forum underscored the importance of fostering a more inclusive workforce for the future of the industry. A big shoutout and thanks goes out to Shaunica Jayson and the entire WIBI team for cultivating this exciting initiative for the boiler industry.

And let’s not forget the ABMA’s commitment to the future generation of the boiler industry. At BOILER2024, the ABMA partnered with Pickens Technical College to engage the next generation of boiler makers. Pickens welding students created an awesome BOILER 2024 sign that was on display at the show, and the ABMA presented the college with a $5,000 to be put towards their program.

As a leading provider of boiler solutions, Nationwide Boiler was proud to participate in BOILER2024. Our exhibit booth served as a hub for networking, knowledge sharing, and showcasing our latest equipment and innovations. This included our new product spotlight, the Eagle Eye remote monitoring system, offering real-time insights and predictive analytics to optimize boiler performance and reliability. In addition, the “World's First” 200,000 lb/hr mobile feedwater system, a product of Nationwide Boiler, was also on display in the Mobile Boiler Parking Lot. This groundbreaking system represents a significant advancement in mobile boiler technology, offering unparalleled capacity, efficiency, and versatility for mobile boiler feedwater equipment.

Overall, BOILER2024 was a resounding success. From the insightful educational sessions to the groundbreaking WIBY forum, the event showcased the industry's commitment to driving positive change and shaping its future. As the boiler industry continues to evolve, events like BOILER2024 will play a crucial role in shaping its trajectory, fostering innovation, and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come. Mark your calendars, as Nationwide Boiler looks forward to participating again at BOILER2026 in Nashville, TN!

    

Throughout our 56 years in business, 2023 emerged as a pivotal year for Nationwide Boiler. Achieving remarkable sales, a boost in employee headcount, and a record high for rental boiler inventory, we've not only surpassed expectations but have also established a new standard for excellence within our company. As we start a new year, we'd like to reflect on these achievements and a year that has rewritten the history books for Nationwide Boiler.

Originally founded as “Nationwide Boiler Rentals” in 1967, the company has grown into one of the world’s largest rental boiler suppliers. Nationwide reached a milestone with 80 employees and over 110 rental boilers, marking an all-time high in both categories. This year we also achieved our best-ever sales performance, underscoring the resilience and adaptability of our company in a dynamic market. Additionally, revenue from parts sales reached an all-time high, reinforcing Nationwide Boiler's commitment to providing quality and reliable solutions to our customers.

Another notable achievement was the design of our new "World's Largest" trailer-mounted boiler, built for a sizeable 150,000 lb/hr of saturated steam supply. The boiler will be mounted to a highway-legal trailer for ease of transport, and it is on track to be ready for service in the first quarter of the new year. And lastly, we hit a new record at our 42nd Annual Chairty Golf Tournament, raising a total of $60,000 for Make-A-Wish© Greater Bay Area and the ABMA Scholarship Fund.

We are proud of these achievements and look forward to serving our customers with Integrity, Dependability, and Real Customer Service through 2024 and beyond.

Read more about our record-breaking year, Oilon’s ULN2.5 ppm burner, freeze protection reminders, holiday party fun and so much more in the latest edition of Nationwide Boiler’s Steamlines Newsletter!

Nationwide Boiler, established in 1967, has built a strong standing reputation by offering reliable rental boilers to assist industrial companies in both scheduled outages and unforeseen emergencies.

Featuring a diverse inventory of more than 100 boilers across various U.S locations, our equipment spans in size from 50 HP to 200,000 lb/hr and includes mobile package watertube boilers, fully equipped mobile boiler rooms, and skid mounted systems. Over the years, our company has expanded our capabilities, evolving into more than just a world-class rental boiler company. We are a stocking distributor, a UL-certified control panel design and manufacturing facility, and we provide sustainable solutions such as electric boilers, hydrogen blended fuel firing capabilities, and our CataStak™ Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System.

As our company continues to evolve, we adjust to the changing times by providing environmentally friendly alternatives within the boiler industry. This involves the utilization of SCR and ultra-low NOx burners to manage NOx emissions, along with the integration of heat pumps and alternative fuel choices for the purpose of decarbonization.

Ultra-low NOx Solutions

Our journey into sustainable solutions commenced in the 1990’s with the introduction of the CataStak SCR to the market. The CataStak is an established solution for lowering NOx and CO emissions to single-digit levels, tailored for applications with package boilers, fired heaters, gas turbines, and other fired equipment. Equipment utilizing a CataStak SCR system has yielded source test results as low as 1 ppm NOx.

Recognizing that SCR technology may not be suitable for every application demanding ultra-low NOx performance, we serve as a supplier and user providing other options like ultra-low NOx burners. Several of our mobile boiler rooms and package firetube boilers incorporate these burners to comply with emissions standards in various regions of California and Texas. Therefore, we also deliver ultra-low NOx burners for permanent requirements when the application aligns better with burner technology.

Alternative Fuels for Decarbonization

Exploring alternatives to fossil fuels offers an additional avenue for sustainable steam and energy production. These alternatives encompass hydrogen, biofuels, and electricity, preferably sourced from renewable sources.

A preferred electric approach for high-pressure steam generation involves the use of electric boilers. Leveraging electricity as a clean, efficient, and easily controllable fuel, every unit of energy input into the boiler is converted to steam with an efficiency of 99%. Numerous industrial facilities possess the required power infrastructure to support an electric boiler, rendering it an optimal zero-emissions solution. Nationwide Boiler’s in-stock electric boiler packages are available for both rental and permanent applications.

Heat pumps are also a favored option for electric heating in comfort applications and, with ongoing technological advancements, are now being applied in industrial settings. Although heat pumps may not currently produce high-pressure steam, they can contribute to industrial processes by providing heat up to 240°F. Also, a heat pump is significantly more energy-efficient, utilizing only about one-third of the energy compared to traditional electric or fossil fuel heat-generating equipment for achieving the same temperature increase.

Lastly, hydrogen and biofuels are now being utilized more frequently as an environmentally friendly alternative to the prevalent use of natural gas or fuel oil in steam boilers. Hydrogen, a proven and low-emission fuel in the boiler industry for several years, offers virtually no carbon emissions. With experience and expertise in hydrogen and biofuels, our engineering group has confirmed that Nationwide Boiler’s existing fleet of package watertube rental boilers can effectively use blended fuels containing up to 20% hydrogen, with no need for system modifications. Originally designed to accommodate natural gas firing, this adaptability is made possible by our strict rental boiler construction standards, which integrate high-quality and robust components such as valving, fuel trains, burners, and more.

Drawing from our extensive history and the collective years of industry experience, our team is dedicated to providing trustworthy temporary rental boilers, sustainable solutions for steam generation, and more, all guided by the principles of "Integrity, Dependability, and Real Customer Service."

To learn more, please explore our website or reach out to us at (800) 227-1966.

Learning and performing proper water treatment will protect your boiler system from tube damage and corrosion, and can also contribute to maximizing boiler efficiency. In this edition of Boiler Basics 101, we will discuss the consequences of improper water treatment and how to implement a proper water treatment plan.

If feedwater is not treated properly before entering the boiler, a chemical imbalance can initiate the formation of scale. Scale is the accumulation of mineral deposits, primarily calcium and magnesium, on the internal surfaces of the boiler.  These minerals have the potential to precipitate from the water and bond to surfaces, creating a layer that may result in harm to boiler tubes, reduced boiler efficiency, and potential for ruptures. Proper water treatment methods, such as the use of water softeners and deaerators, reverse osmosis, and chemical additives to condition the water, must be employed to prevent scale formation.

1. A water softener will remove the calcium and magnesium content in the boiler’s water supply. This effectively “softens” the water before it enters a boiler and removes the minerals that are often the cause of scale in a boiler.
2. A deaerator should be utilized to mechanically remove oxygen from the water before it enters the boiler. This will prevent boiler tube failure.
3. Reverse osmosis can also be used to aid your boiler. Reverse osmosis is a process that can be used in boiler water treatment to purify and condition the water by using pressure to filter out any hardness and impurities.
4. Chemical treatment is also necessary to ensure proper water conditioning alongside the mechanical treatments listed above. Typically, the chemicals used for treatment purposes are an oxygen scavenger, scale inhibitor, and an amine to treat the steam system piping.

It is important to note that from a rental perspective, it is the customer’s responsibility to maintain the water treatment conditions of their rental boiler to avoid equipment damage and additional repair charges that can result from improper water treatment procedures. 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. Weekly tasks should include maintaining daily boiler logs, conducting chemical treatment tests, providing a report from the chemical treatment consultant, and sharing maintenance records with your rental boiler supplier.

All boilers are subject to damage if proper water treatment procedures are not followed. This is an important consideration both during operation and when the boiler is idle. Maintaining a water treatment plan will not just extend your boiler’s lifespan and the durability of its components, but it will also facilitate long-term cost savings. It is an investment that pays off in the form of lower energy costs, fewer repairs, reduction of costly down time, and compliance with regulations; all contributing to long-term cost savings.

Make sure to explore our earlier Boiler Basics 101 articles and keep an eye out for the upcoming edition!