Boiler Blog | Nationwide Boiler Inc.

Nationwide Boiler is actively monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and has enacted a semi-remote protocol to help “flatten the curve”. Please understand that we are still fully operational and able to support the many essential industries that we serve, including our hospitals and medical care facilities / suppliers, food processors, petroleum refineries, pulp and paper plants, manufacturing, and electrical power generation facilities. Rest assured that if an emergency need arises and a rental boiler is required quickly, we will be able to fulfill any request as we would on a typical operating basis.

Our sales, engineering and marketing teams are working remote and are fully accessible via email and phone calls. Our accounting team is working diligently to continue the functions necessary for day-to-day operations, and we have a partial shipping and receiving protocol in place with employees available on stand-by if a piece of equipment needs to get serviced and ready to ship out. At our offices, we have implemented additional measures as recommended by the CDC and the federal government, including a higher focus on cleaning and sanitizing commonly touched surfaces and the practice of social distancing. Lastly, we are restricting all non-essential travel and will carefully review and approve any essential travel to continue providing service and support.

We at Nationwide Boiler realize that this global situation affects many business and individuals, and we are here to provide as much support as possible while practicing the necessary measures to slow the outbreak. Our customers depend on us, and we will not let you down even in these uncertain times. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates via our social media channels as they arise.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns: info@nationwideboiler.com.

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.  

Within the RECLAIM standards, Rule 1146 outlines specific guidelines for boilers, steam generators, and process heaters that have a heat input of 5 mmBtu/hr or greater, that are utilized in all industrial, institutional, and commercial operations. This rule has changed several times, and at the end of 2018, another revision to the rule was adopted. All Group 1 units (>/= 75MMBTu/hr) as well as Group II units (20 - 75 MMBTu/hr) with an existing permit limit greater than 2 ppm must comply with a 5 ppm NOx limit. In addition, facilities that qualify must be in compliance by 2022 – 2023. The table below outlines all equipment and current limits based on category and heat input.

If your facility falls into the RECLAIM bubble, Nationwide Boiler can assist in bringing your stationary equipment up to current standards to comply with the latest rules and regulations. Our CataStak™ SCR system is proven to reduce NOx emissions to as low as 2.5 ppm on boilers, fired heaters, and other demanding applications. Imagine what we can do for your facility to get you in compliance with RECLAIM!

Stay tuned for part 2, where we will outline specific rules and regulations within the SJVAPCD.

Recent studies show that companies are restructuring their culture, steering away from the competitive work environment with minimal employee recognition, and shifting towards adapting a more team-centric and collaborative working atmosphere.

Nationwide Boiler is proud to say that we have always been a company that encourages team building, and are more than happy to recognize and reward our employees as they excel in their position. In fact, in addition to 5-year length of service awards that are presented at our annual Christmas party, we recognize employees who make a big impact with our ‘Big Kahuna’ award at each quarterly birthday celebration.

To encourage camaraderie throughout our company, Nationwide Boiler coordinates multiple events for employees to take part in. This year we have a total of 6 sporting events in the lineup, including soccer, baseball, and college football. The next game we are looking forward to is the Oakland A’s vs. Texas Rangers, and of course, we will be rooting for the A’s! We also coordinate multiple barbeques & dessert socials throughout the year to satisfy our many food lovers and celebrate certain events. Most recently, we held our Independence Day barbeque the week of July 4^th. We had grill masters, Larry Day and Michele Tomas, cook up some delicious burgers and hotdogs; while Holly Lepo spoiled us all with her famous and delicious chili, yum! We can’t wait for the next one.

In addition to being sports enthusiasts and foodies, we also like participating and getting in on the action. We recently hosted a bowling lunch at our local bowling alley, Cloverleaf Family Bowl. The group was split into 8 teams (with fun, creative team names), in a competition to win the title of Nationwide Boiler’s 2019 Bowling Champions. In the end, Team Vapor & Team Combustion went head to head, but Team Vapor came out on top. Congratulations to Tim McBride, Phil Blake, Nic Petty, and Sandy Nevels. Let’s see who will take home the title at our next bowling event!