Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

At the end of a rental boiler project, proper decommissioning is key to ensure safe transport back to the rental boiler supplier and to avoid any unforeseen costs. It’s not just about disconnecting and moving the equipment - taking a few simple precautions can prevent potential damage and ensure everything is ready for return. Review and follow the steps below for a smooth, hassle-free pick-up and return of your rental boiler equipment.

Drain & Flush

Start by thoroughly draining and flushing all the boiler lines with clean water, making sure all water drain valves are fully opened. This step helps eliminate any remaining water that could cause corrosion or freeze damage, potentially harming the system during transport or storage. Flushing the lines also removes debris and buildup, improving the boiler’s performance for future use.

Inspect

Next, take the time to carefully inspect both the fireside and waterside surfaces for any visible damage, scale buildup, or issues with the refractory lining. These areas are crucial to the boiler’s efficiency, and any damage or buildup could lead to serious problems later. It’s also a good idea to take clear photos of the boiler’s condition at the end of the rental period. This way, there is a record to reference in case there are any questions or concerns about its condition when returned.

Equipment Prep for Removal

The stack and other components that were installed upon arrival to the jobsite should be removed and mounted back on the rental boiler trailer and/or shipping skid. Be sure to securely bolt the stub stack, non-return valve, safety valves, and vent valve back into place, just as they were when the equipment was delivered. Aligning everything properly ensures that each component stays in place during transport, avoiding movement or potential damage.

Additional equipment prep should be completed as follows:

1. Cover all boiler openings: this includes the stack, steam, gas, and water connections, electrical panel, and safety valve openings.

2. Reattach running gear and gooseneck: If the trailer was taken apart for transport, ensure that the running gear and gooseneck are properly reattached before moving the trailer.

3. Check tire pressure: Before transport, it's important to check the tire pressure of the trailer. Make sure the tires are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended levels for optimal performance and safety.

By following these steps the return process becomes seamless, protecting the rental boiler, feed system or auxiliary equipment and ensuring that everything is handled properly from start to finish. If you have questions about preparing for the return delivery of your rental boiler equipment, don't hesitate to call Nationwide Boiler at 800-227-1966.

The 2025 Western Regional Boiler Association (WRBA) Conference, held March 25-27 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, brought together boiler industry professionals for a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights, and innovations. Scott Best, Sales Engineer at Nationwide Boiler, presented an insightful session on deaerators, emphasizing the critical role deaerators play in maintaining efficient boiler operations.

Spotlight on Scott Best’s Presentation: "A Deep Dive into Deaerators"

Best’s presentation provided a comprehensive overview of deaerators—essential yet often overlooked components of boiler systems. He emphasized their crucial role in emoving dissolved gases from boiler feedwater, helping to prevent corrosion and enhance overall system efficiency.

Deaerators play a vital role in removing dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide from boiler feedwater. This process prevents corrosion, improves heat transfer, and ensures the longevity of boilers and auxiliary equipment. 

Best explained the key principles of deaerator operation, including how pegging steam interacts with feedwater to effectively strip away dissolved gases. It is important to maintain pegging steam at the saturation point to maximize deaeration efficiency. Best also discussed the impact of high-pressure condensate on the deaerator’s energy balance and outlined strategies for recovering heat that would otherwise be wasted.

Proper sizing of feedwater pumps is crucial for ensuring sufficient Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH), which helps prevent cavitation and maintains pump efficiency. Best clarified the difference between overflow capacity and working capacity, helping operators understand how to size and operate deaerators within optimal ranges.

The session covered various types of deaerators, including tray-type and spray-type designs, and provided guidance on selecting the right type based on system requirements. Best offered practical tips on monitoring performance, conducting routine maintenance, and troubleshooting common issues to ensure long-term reliability.

Benefits of Optimized Deaerator Performance

By applying best practices for deaerator operation and maintenance, operators can significantly enhance boiler performance. Improved heat transfer and reduced energy consumption lead to increased efficiency, while minimizing corrosion-related damage extends the lifespan of equipment. Additionally, optimized deaerator performance enhances system responsiveness, ensuring greater operational reliability. These benefits not only improve daily operations but also help reduce downtime and lower long-term costs associated with repairs and replacements.  

Deaerators play a fundamental role in maintaining boiler system efficiency and reliability, yet they are often overlooked. As Best outlined, neglecting these components can lead to inefficiencies, reduced equipment lifespan, and costly repairs. By shedding light on this critical topic, we at Nationwide Boiler reinforce our commitment to industry education and providing customers with practical, effective solutions. 

Nationwide Boiler’s Continued Leadership

Nationwide Boiler’s participation at WRBA 2025 exemplifies our dedication to fostering education and innovation within the boiler industry. As a leader in providing reliable boiler solutions—from rental boiler equipment to custom control systems—we consistently demonstrate our expertise through thought leadership at key industry events.

By focusing on best practices for deaerator selection, operation, and maintenance, Nationwide Boiler aims to help customers optimize their steam systems for greater efficiency and sustainability. For more information on Nationwide Boiler's deaerator solutions and other boiler-related services, visit www.nationwideboiler.com or contact Scott Best at sbest@nationwideboiler.com.

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.

Risks of Inadequate Maintenance

Neglecting gas train inspection and testing can lead to component failures that may not be immediately apparent but can compromise the entire combustion system. Common issues include:

• Leaking or sticking safety valves
• Inaccurate or failed pressure switches
• Improperly functioning regulators
• Worn or bypassed interlocks
• Electrical wiring faults

In many documented incidents, failures were not due to a lack of safety devices, but rather a lack of routine testing and operator training. Preventive maintenance is essential to avoid these scenarios.

Best Practices for Gas Train Safety

Implementing a structured maintenance and safety program can mitigate risks and improve system reliability. The following practices are strongly recommended:

1. Staff Training and Competency

Operators must be trained not only in basic boiler operation but also in combustion safety and hazard recognition. Training programs should include hands-on system reviews, mock upset drills, and instruction on emergency response procedures. Even when maintenance is outsourced, in-house personnel should have a fundamental understanding of the systems they oversee.

2. Written Startup and Shutdown Procedures

Many combustion incidents occur during equipment startup or shutdown. Standardized, clearly written procedures ensure consistency across shifts and personnel. These procedures should include purge verification, valve testing, and system readiness checks.

3. Routine Testing and Documentation

Facilities should establish a regular schedule for testing gas train components, including:

• Valve leak and tightness testing
• Functional testing of pressure switches and interlocks
• Flame safeguard system checks
• Compliance with applicable NFPA, ASME, and local code requirements

Documenting all tests and inspections ensures traceability and supports compliance efforts.

4. Third-Party Equipment Reviews

When acquiring new equipment or undergoing significant upgrades, a third-party review can help verify compliance, confirm correct installation, and identify design deficiencies. This is especially important when retrofitting legacy systems with modern controls or safety components.

5. Proactive Equipment Upgrades

Waiting for failure is not a viable safety strategy. Facilities should establish a timeline for replacing aging components and upgrading outdated systems. Modern PLC-based burner management systems and digital flame safeguards offer improved diagnostics, safety, and reliability.

Building a Culture of Safety

The safe operation of permanent boilers, rental boilers, and boiler combustion equipment depends not just on hardware, but on the culture and procedures that support it. Gas train maintenance should be treated as a critical operational task—not an afterthought. Investing in training, testing, and system upgrades enhances reliability, reduces unplanned downtime, and most importantly, protects personnel.

This blog post was originally published in September 2011 and has been updated to reflect current best practices, safety standards, and advancements in gas train maintenance.

Reliability and Versatility of Nationwide Boiler’s Rental Fleet

Nationwide Boiler operates and maintains one of the largest and most versatile rental boiler fleets in the industry. Our purpose-built rental inventory includes over 100 temporary boiler systems ranging from 47.5 HP to 200,000 lb/hr, stored in multiple locations across the country. We offer multiple configurations including complete mobile boiler rooms, trailer-mounted watertube and firetube boilers, skid-mounted systems, factory-integrated skid packages, fully electric boiler systems designed for zero-emissions operations, and a suite of boiler auxiliary equipment options. This diverse inventory allows us to respond quickly and effectively to emergency outages, planned maintenance, or increased seasonal demand.

Reliable Steam Solutions for Diverse Industries

One of the key advantages of renting from Nationwide Boiler is our ability to provide fast, reliable steam solutions that are tailored to your application. Whether your facility requires low or high capacity, saturated or superheated steam, boiler-only or a complete temporary steam plant, our rental boiler fleet is engineered to support continuous, dependable operation. Our solutions support a wide range of industries including food processing, petroleum and chemical refining, power generation, pulp and paper, manufacturing, and more.

Maintenance and Refurbishment of Rental Boilers

As with any heavily utilized piece of equipment, rental boilers often return to our shop in need of service. Not every rental requires major repairs, but every unit goes through a standard inspection and maintenance process before being returned to service. Our skilled technicians perform routine tasks such as gasket and valve replacements, tube brushing, burner tune-ups, and safety control testing to ensure each system meets the high quality standards we’ve set over the years. These preventative and corrective measures address normal wear and tear that naturally occurs over the course of a rental. Having a disciplined approach to maintenance helps us minimize future service calls, ensure performance reliability, and reduce the total cost of ownership for our customers.

In rare cases, a unit may be damaged beyond repair and must be retired from service. However, thanks to our experienced fabrication team and dedicated Quality Control Department, most boilers are restored and returned to service in like-new condition. With proper maintenance, boilers can provide reliable performance for decades.

Why Retube a Boiler?

A complete boiler retube is one of the most effective ways to extend the life of a heavily damaged boiler, particularly in demanding industrial environments. Over time boiler tubes naturally wear down due to constant use, high temperatures, and exposure to impurities in the water. However, the lack of proper maintenance and water treatment can quickly accelerate this, leading to major damage to the internal boiler tubes and creating an immediate need for retube or complete system replacement.

When boiler tubes become corroded or damaged, overall performance, efficiency, and safety can decline, causing costly downtime or even system failure. Retubing restores the boiler’s internal components, significantly improving efficiency and returning the system to like-new condition.

A Commitment to Reliability, Sustainability, and Performance

At Nationwide Boiler, we take pride in our ability to perform quality service and maintenance on our rental fleet, as well as refurbish and repurpose equipment whenever the need arises. Retubing not only extends the useful life of our boilers but also plays a key role in our sustainability efforts. Instead of scrapping boilers that still have a solid pressure vessel and frame, we focus on restoring their core components. This approach reduces waste, conserves resources, and helps us maintain a high-quality, cost-effective rental fleet.

Our commitment to maintaining a high-performance rental boiler fleet ensures that our customers receive dependable, code-compliant, and cost-effective steam solutions every time. Whether you need a short-term rental for a few weeks or a long-term solution for several months, Nationwide Boiler has the equipment, expertise, and service to keep your operations running smoothly.

This blog post was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated to reflect the latest advancements in boiler maintenance, sustainability practices, and the continued expansion and modernization of Nationwide Boiler’s rental fleet.