Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

Established in 1967 by late founder and pioneer Dick Bliss, Nationwide Boiler began with a mission to provide mobile, temporary boilers to steam users during planned and unplanned boiler outages. At the time, our rental fleet wasn’t much of a ‘fleet’ and consisted of just one 20,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted, O-type watertube boiler. Throughout the years, our inventory has grown to consist of over 100 rental boilers and related equipment, all with various specifications and capabilities. And with multiple storage locations throughout the country, we are capable of shipping our boilers to customers not just nationwide, but worldwide.

With a goal of being the #1 emergency boiler supplier, we understand the importance of educating steam users on emergency preparedness and the benefits of utilizing a rental boiler not just during emergencies, but also during planned outages and periods of high demand.

Reasons to Rent a Boiler

• Unforeseeable Situations
  •  A boiler shuts down unexpectedly, needing maintenance and/or repairs
  •  Disasters and natural causes that lead to a temporary steam need

Nationwide Boiler has come to the rescue in many emergency situations. One notable instance was the tragedy on September 11^th, 2001, where we responded quickly to assist ConEd with the supply of heat to New York city. 

• Increase in Demand
  • Companies face periods of increased demand due to varying factors, requiring additional steam capacity

Nationwide Boiler has a great deal of experience renting boilers when additional steam is needed. In fact, we have an annual rental with a tomato processing company to support their seasonal increase in demand.

• Planned Outages or Repairs
  • Annual boiler inspections or routine repairs that require a temporary steam source while a facility boiler is taken offline

Nationwide Boiler has over 50 years of experience in providing boilers and related equipment for companies that have planned outages and need temporary steam.

• Capital Resources
  • A company has budgetary restrictions and is unable to invest in a new boiler
  • Nationwide Boiler has a large inventory of 100+ rental boilers. We provide rental programs that are flexible to a company’s budget, and can assist with financing options.

 Whatever the reason for renting a boiler may be, make sure to rent from the best. Nationwide Boiler provides value with reliable equipment and top-notch customer service, and customer needs are always our priority.

Check out our recent article in Chemical Processing’s Steam System eHandbook for additional details on putting a contingency plan in place and forestalling your next steam system outage.

Boilers are designed to produce steam to accomplish a multitude of tasks; from powering a plant to sterilizing hospital equipment. In simple terms, a boiler is a closed container in which water is heated to its boiling point to produce usable steam. In order to produce steam, there are two key items that must be involved: water and heat.

A boiler is comprised of two seperate systems: the steam-water system (waterside), and the fuel-air-flue system (fireside). As you might have guessed, water is first introduced into the waterside of the boiler. Alternatively, the fireside of the boiler provides heat, produced through the combustion of fuel (commonly natural gas or fuel oil, but can be another source) and air, which is controlled by the burner.  The heat that is created within the fireside is transferred to the waterside to produce steam.

To complete a boiler system, additional elements are required. This typically includes the following major components:

•  Burner: a mechanical device that supplies the required fuel and air for proper combustion.
•  Controls: the BMS (burner management system) protects the equipment and personnel from safety issues.
      The CCS (combustion control system) controls the air and fuel for proper combustion.
•  Fan: supplies air for the combustion to take place.
•  Water Softener: pre-treats the boiler feedwater for removal of hardness, which would otherwise cause detrimental scale
   inside the boiler system.
•  Deaerator / Feedwater System: removes oxygen and gases from boiler feedwater supply (which will also damage boiler
  internals), and feeds it to the boiler system via high pressure feedwater pumps.

All of these elements come together to create a robust steam supply system that is utilized in an abundance of processes throughout many different industries. Boilers truly are a work of art, with many pieces working as one system to make something extremely powerful and impactful, which is why we at Nationwide Boiler are so passionate about what we do.

Stay tuned for the next article in ur Boiler Basics 101 series to learn more about common types of boiler systems.  

When we think about boilers, there are a two types that typically come to mind; firetube, or scotch marine, and watertube boilers. These types of boilers can be classified as hot water, steam, high pressure, and low pressure. In today’s blog post we will be answering the question: what are the basic differences between the different types of boilers?

Although their final function is the same, the main difference between a firetube and watertube boiler is the construction and design of each system. In a firetube boiler, water inside a vessel is surrounded by tubes that contain combustion gases. In other words, the ‘fire’ is inside the tubes, making it a ‘firetube’. Watertube boilers are essentially the opposite in design. Combustion gases surround a series of tubes that contain water, coining the name, watertube.

By definition, high pressure boilers are built to a maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) above 15 psig, while low pressure boilers are designed for operation at 15 psig or below. Low pressure boilers are most commonly utilized in heating applications and require less maintenance than that of a high pressure unit. Furthermore, firetube boilers can be built for both low and high pressure applications, while watertube boilers are typically built for high pressure needs.

Some may think that firetube and watertube boilers are in the same category as hot water and steam boilers. However, steam and hot water boilers are actually a classification, and can be considered a subcategory to firetube & watertube boilers.

Hot water and steam boilers operate in a very similar manner, but hot water boilers don’t actually produce steam. In reality, a hot water boiler is just a fuel fired hot water heater, in which heat is added to increase the temperature to a level below the boiling point. Hot water boilers are not as powerful as steam boilers, which is why they are more commonly used in heating applications providing hot water at 120 – 220F.

Steam boilers heat water to levels that are above boiling point, in order to produce steam. They are much more powerful and are utilized in more industrial and heavy-commercial applications. Steam boilers can be designed to produce either saturated or superheated steam, which we will discuss further on in a future post.  

Be it a firetube, watertube, hot water, or steam boiler, they are all effective and efficient in their own unique ways. To learn in more detail about the differences between boiler types, visit the section on our website, “What Boiler Is Best For You”.