Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

On April 14, 2011 Duke burned the last of its remaining stock of coal from its famous black mountain off Coal Pile Drive. As part of Duke's Climate Action Plan to become carbon neutral by 2024, the University is converting its West Campus steam plant from a coal-burning plant to a natural gas-burning plant.

To aid in the University's efforts, Nationwide Boiler supplied a temporary 82,500 lb/hr trailer-mounted boiler for the plant, proudly delivered to the University with their Blue Devil logo. The boiler will be used until next Spring while the West Campus Steam Plant acts as a "base plant", along with steam produced at the East Campus plant, to heat Duke's buildings, sterilize surgical equipment and maintain proper humidity for art work and lab research.

Duke's director of Sustainable Duke, Tavey McDaniel Capps, said Duke's steam plant renovations make it a leader for other colleges and universities who are also focused on helping the environment. "This kind of step is pivotal in our effort to move closer to carbon neutrality," she said. "Being proactive in our sustainable efforts will make a big difference in the future."

We are well into the winter season, which calls for a quick reminder on freeze protection for any boiler equipment installed outdoors, whether it is a temporary rental boiler or your facility equipment. Taking the proper preventative measures will avoid operational difficulties and major damage to your system. During freezing weather conditions, Nationwide Boiler recommends the following:

1. Enclose both the front and rear of the boiler area and use an external heat source to minimize freezing conditions.

2. Install heat tracing with insulation to protect exposed stagnant water lines.

3. Utilize an appropriate heat tracing method (electric or steam tracing) to all of your main lines and piping components. This includes the following lines, which should be heat traced regardless of whether the boiler is in operation or not (in freezing conditions):

a. Sensing lines (steam drum to CRM, high steam, and steam gauge)
b. Auxiliary low-water cut-off
c. Water column
d. Level control blowdown
e. Main and continuous blowdown (depending on length of piping runs)

4. In addition to heat tracing on stagnant sensing lines, drain the lines and fill them with a 50/50 (water/glycol) solution, making sure to re-connect the line.

5. When an extended boiler down time is expected, completely drain the boiler and stagnant water lines.

The above are recommendations, however, be sure to use sound engineering judgement calls when there are concerns of possible freeze damage to the equipment. And remember, with most rental companies, any freeze damage that requires repairs or replacement of boiler components will be the responsibility of the customer, so it is imperative that you take the correct steps to freeze protect your temporary equipment.

For further details on our freeze protection recommendations, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-227-1966.

Sometimes boilers are rented in advance for planned maintenance or additional capacity, and other times they are needed immediately in an emergency outage. No matter the situation, Nationwide Boiler has the capacity to provide equipment to support our customers at their best and at their worst.

We received a call on Sunday afternoon from a customer in an emergency situation, with an immediate need for rental equipment. Our Rental Sales Manager, Tim McBride, quickly sent information on two (2) 70,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted boilers that were available from our heaquarters in Fremont, CA. The order was received Monday morning, and we began working diligently to process paperwork, perform outbound equipment inspections, and coordinate shipment. The two units shipped this afternoon, just three days after the initial call, and are on their way to the South. With the help of our partner, ADCO Companies, the equipment will be up and running in no time!

We plan ahead for situations just like this, so we can support our customers through any unexpected outage and provide them with reliable equipment and un-matched service.

There are many different types of boiler options available in the rental market. Trailer-mounted boilers, skid-mounted boilers, transportable steam plants, and of course, mobile boiler rooms.

Mobile boiler rooms are highway-legal, transportable trailer-mounted vans or containers, designed and customized to house the components of a “mini” steam plant. This includes all of the necessary equipment with the proper hook-ups to supply a given amount of steam for most any application. Major equipment typically contained within a complete mobile boiler room includes a low NOx boiler, feedwater system, duplex water softener, chemical feed system, blowdown tank, and all valving and controls required for complete steam room operation. Typical mobile boiler rooms operate on natural gas, #2 oil, or propane, and range in size from 47.5 hp to 1,000 hp with design pressures from 150 to 290 psi.

What makes a mobile boiler room advantageous for end-users is that they require no special foundations, are fully enclosed, and can sustain inclement weather conditions without the use of costly weather protection. In addition, mobile boiler rooms are aesthetically pleasing in both industrial and commercial settings.

Nationwide Boiler has provided thousands of customers with high quality mobile boiler rooms that have not only met high steam demands, but have also required quick delivery, rapid start-up, and ease of operation. In most instances, a mobile boiler room requires one knowledgeable operator with proper training on boiler control safety and feedwater quality control. Industries that utilize mobile boiler rooms range from hospitals, food processors, pulp and paper plants, colleges and universities, and light manufacturing, just to name a few.

When deciding if renting a mobile boiler room is best for you, the following factors must be determined:

Location. Mobile boiler rooms are fully enclosed units and can be transported to any facility as long as proper electrical and utility hookups are available. Mobile boiler rooms are more operational and more secure than skid-mounted systems. This enables mobile boiler rooms to be utilized in public locations with decreased operational noise disturbances and possible tampering of exposed boiler equipment.

Ease of Operation. Mobile boiler rooms are designed to be fully operational steam plants, without the need of a full-time boiler control team. As long as daily boiler and feedwater quality logs are kept, and required maintenance is performed, then costly teams of operators can be avoided.

The evolution of mobile boiler rooms continues to expand and Nationwide Boiler is committed to supplying the right equipment for your needs. Contact a Nationwide sales representative today to determine if a mobile boiler room is the right choice for you.