Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

Nationwide Boiler has been in business for over 50 years, and our business has seen tremendous growth since we first opened our doors in 1967. Starting out as a rental boiler company with just one boiler, we now maintain a rental fleet of over 100 boilers and related equipment, stock new and reconditioned boilers for sale, lead the industry in CataStak™ SCR installations for package boilers, own and operate a UL certified controls division based out of Washougal, WA, and provide many products and services above and beyond just boiler rentals.

So, when you think of Nationwide Boiler, don't think of us as just another boiler rental company. Check out these ten interesting facts that you may not have known about Nationwide:

1. Nationwide Boiler Inc. was originally named Nationwide Rentals, and began with just one 22,000 lb/hr trailer-mounted boiler in our rental fleet.
2. We maintain, service, and store our boilers in 10 key cities through the country to help achieve quick delivery and transportation cost savings.
3. We have over 20 sales representatives located throughout the world, ready to assist our customers.
4. Nationwide Boiler is more than just a rental company. In addition to stocking new and reconditioned boilers for sale, we also offer auxiliary equipment for rent and for sale. This includes CataStak™ SCR systems, EconoStak economizers, DataStak™ emissions & efficiency monitoring systems, deaerators, water softeners, heat exchangers, gas regulators, blowdown heat recovery systems, blowdown separators, and more.
5. The CataStak™ has been installed in over 200 temporary and permanent applications.
6. We stock a large inventory of boiler parts for quick delivery to our customers.
7. We provide complete boiler start-up, including operator training and operator service when required.
8. Our controls division, Pacific Combustion Engineering, has over 60 years of experience with all aspects of industrial heat processes, and can provide UL certified, integrated    burner management systems and combustion control packages.
9.  Nationwide Boiler is a manufacturer's representative for Babcock & Wilcox, Superior Boiler, E-Tech Heat Recovery Solutions, and Webster Combustion Technology.
10. Although we have 'Nationwide' in our name, we support customers worldwide and have provided equipment to six of the seven continents in the world. Can you guess which continent we have yet to check off our list?

The nature of the rental business is ever-changing, and at any moment a customer can call and need a mobile boiler shipped out immediately. Recently, one of Nationwide Boiler’s long-time customers required two industrial rental boilers for an emergency outage during repairs to their large power boiler. To keep operations running and to minimize plant downtime, Nationwide was there to assist every step of the way.

Nationwide Boiler is the largest rental boiler supplier on the west coast. With a rental fleet of over 100 boilers, Nationwide is well equipped to provide equipment for planned, unplanned, and emergency outages worldwide. Our top-most priority is our customers, and we will go out of our way to make sure we are able to address their needs effectively and efficiently.

Read our press release to learn how Nationwide Boiler’s Rental Manager, Tim McBride, solved an immediate boiler need at this pulp and paper facility.

Routine boiler maintenance is imperative not only for safety, but also to sustain efficiency and reliability of your system. Being proactive rather than reactive is likely to increase the longevity of your boiler as well as help prevent incidents that can result in injuries, damage, or worse. Incorporating routine maintenance into your facilities day-to-day operations will prove its worth with a great deal of short- and long-term benefits.

There are certain maintenance tasks that should be performed daily, and others that should be performed periodically. Below we have provided a list of best practices to follow when putting together your routine boiler maintenance plan.

On a daily basis, you should track and keep a log of the following items:

• Boiler pressure and temperature
• Stack temperature, to determine operational efficiency (a well-tuned boiler should have a stack temperature range of 50 – 100 degrees above the steam or water temperature)
• Gas pressure to the regulator, as well as downstream from it
• Water quality and pH levels, to ensure you are meeting the recommended levels

Blowdown of the boiler (bottom blow) and water column should also be performed on a daily basis. In addition, you should observe boiler and auxiliary equipment daily to ensure proper operation and that there is no damage, leaks, or unusual behavior. 

On a weekly to monthly basis, it’s important to conduct additional visual inspections and observe the operation of certain components for areas that may need to be addressed. This includes:

• Gauge glass
• Fuel supply valves
• Operating and modulating controls, water level controls
• Flame scanner & burner flame pattern
• High- and low-pressure switches, combustion air proving switch
• Indicating lights and alarms

When it comes to the burner, you should inspect the valves, pilot tube, and diffuser thoroughly for any signs of wear that might call for a repair. Also, be sure to observe the entirety of the boiler system for potential hot spots (an indicator of deteriorated refractory) and again, be sure to keep an eye out for any leaks of fuel, water, or flue gas.

Lastly, there are certain items that should be performed on a semi-annual to annual basis. Many of the tasks below can be checked off during the annual inspection, when the boiler is taken offline:

• Open access doors and inspect the fireside of the boiler
• Inspect boiler and tubes for evidence of corrosion; clean tubes and tube sheets thoroughly
• Examine the refractory for large cracks (greater than 1/8”) and patch as necessary
• Conduct safety tests on the gas valves
• Review all electrical connections for tightness, signs of wiring wear
• Check pump alignment on all base-mount pumps

This is also a good time to fully inspect the auxiliaries that provide fuel, air, water, and chemicals to the boiler. In addition, combustion should be reset periodically with the use of a combustion analyzer, for accurate readings of NOx, CO, and O2.

While the guidelines above provide a good baseline of tasks to perform when it comes to routine maintenance, be sure to consider the boiler manufacturer’s recommendations as well.  

With California having the most stringent emissions requirements in the country, it is important to be well versed on any and all rules and regulations when buying a new boiler or renting a temporary boiler. This is our final installment of the 3-part series on air permit compliance for boilers in California (be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 if you haven’t already).

Nationwide Boiler maintains a fleet of rental units that are sub-9 ppm NOx and pre-permitted for use in the SCAQMD. We take care of the bulk of the permit work saving our customers an exponential amount of time (no waiting for the application to be approved), and we pay for any processing fees. This allows for quick installation and start-up of a temporary boiler, which is extremely valuable in an emergency outage. The only requirement of our customer is the source testing of the equipment, if the source test is due. Most of these pre-permitted boilers require source testing on an annual basis, and the source test must be done at a job site within the county’s jurisdiction.

The SJVAPCD does not allow the pre-permitting of rental boilers, but they do have a program called the Temporary Replacement Emissions Unit (TREU) which can be utilized when a rental is needed  in a pinch. This program contains an application shield provision which allows renters to install a temporary boiler in place of an existing permitted boiler that is down for repairs without having to get a new permit for the rental boiler. In order to qualify for the TREU Program, the rental boiler being installed must have a heat input equal to or less than the unit it is replacing. Plus, it must not have the potential to produce more emissions than the current permit allows. There is a time limitation to this program; the temporary boiler can be on-site for a maximum of 180 days within a 12-month period.

If you are outside of the two territories listed above, don’t fret! Nationwide Boiler can assist with the permitting process as needed. In addition, utilizing a pre-permitted boiler in a location other than the SCAQMD does have its advantages and can help expedite the permitting process.

With our headquarters being located in California, it is important to us that we are up-to-date with emissions regulations throughout the state. And with other areas of the country starting to experience a similar push for emissions reductions, we have the expertise and experience to help. Nationwide Boiler is proud to take the lead in helping customers everywhere understand and comply with current and future air regulation standards.