Nationwide Boiler Highlights Deaerator Best Practices at the 2025 WRBA Conference

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.