Boiler Blog Archive | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

In industrial settings where boilers are vital to operations, safety and reliability are non-negotiable. One often overlooked component is the fuel train, or gas train, which plays a critical role in controlling fuel delivery. During budget cuts, maintenance of this system is frequently deferred—an oversight that can lead to gas leaks, combustion failures, and serious safety hazards. For facilities operating high-pressure steam systems, regular gas train maintenance is essential to prevent incidents and ensure safe, reliable performance.

Understanding the Role of the Gas Train

The gas train is a system of mechanical and electrical components that regulate fuel flow and pressure to the burner. It includes shut-off valves, regulators, pressure switches, solenoids, and piping—all working together to ensure safe fuel delivery and immediate shutdown in unsafe conditions.

Gas trains are designed to:

• Prevent unburned fuel from entering the combustion chamber
• Shut off fuel flow in the event of unsafe operating conditions
• Maintain consistent gas pressure for efficient burner operation
• Enable both manual and automatic control of fuel delivery

Even in systems equipped with modern burner management systems and interlocks, the effectiveness of these safety measures depends on proper maintenance and operator awareness.

With short summers and weather as unpredictable as it is charming, much of Newfoundland and Labrador relies on NARL Refining’s ability to provide warmth and clean fuel. We were able to assist with the refinery’s needs by providing them with one of our new in-stock 110,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted superheat boilers. The 750 psig design watertube boiler was manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox, who recommended Nationwide Boiler for the job per our stock boiler program.

To learn more about the boiler sale and how we were able to accommodate the customer’s need for an immediately available unit, read our latest case study. (PDF will download in a new window.)

On December 20, 2012, the EPA finalized the Boiler MACT, a specific set of adjustments to existing Clean Air Act standards, for boilers and certain solid waste incinerators. These adjustments set standards to cut emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as mercury, dioxin, and lead, from large boilers in a range of industrial facilities and institutions.

The DOE will offer technical assistance to affected sites currently burning coal or oil, highlighting strategies such as natural gas combined heat and power (CHP), and more efficient boilers, to cut harmful pollution and reduce operational costs. DOE will also provide site-specific technical and cost information to the major source facilities currently burning coal or oil through its regional Clean Energy Application Centers (CEACs).

The CEACs will visit these facilities to discuss strategies for compliance, including CHP, as well as provide information on potential funding and financing opportunities available for CHP, controls, boilers and energy efficiency assessments. Facilities that make use of this technical assistance can potentially develop strategies to comply with the regulations while adding to their bottom line.

Contact Nationwide Boiler today to discuss how we can help you come up with a solution that will cut emissions in your facility. Call: 1-800-227-1966.

Information on financial incentives available at the local, state, utility and federal levels to assist facilities with the costs of investing in CHP, boiler tune-ups, controls and/or energy efficiency assessments is available at:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/states/pdfs/incentives_boiler_mact.pdf

Information about the rule, including links to the regulatory dockets, technical information on how the limits were developed, and impact assessments, is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/airquality/combustion/actions.html

Once winter arrives it is a good time to remind our customers about how to properly prepare for freezing temperatures.  This not only applies to when a boiler is in operation, but also when a boiler is down or in transport.  The guidelines below will help get you started, but contact Nationwide Boiler if you have any further questions: 1-800-227-1967.

Freeze Protection Guidelines

Freezing conditions pose a huge risk to boiler equipment if it is not properly protected from the harsh elements. In order to ensure that your unit continues to operate while facing freezing 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 if the boiler is in operation or not
      (in freezing conditions): sensing lines (steam drum to CMR, high steam and steam gauge), auxiliary
      low-water-cut-off, water column and level control blowdown. Depending on the length of piping runs,
      the main and continuous blowdown should also be heat traced.

  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.