Which Industrial Boiler Do You Need?

How much do you know about how your company is powered? Presumably, much of your business will employ electricity, but for many companies, a steam boiler will still play a vital role in providing power for your business. Maybe you haven't thought much about the boiler, but it is important to understand what type of boiler you have and whether it should be improved or replaced. If your existing boiler has started to show a few signs of wear, it may be time to think about upgrading it. But looking at industrial boilers isn't always as straightforward as you might think. Here are two things to consider when choosing a new boiler.

How is the boiler fuelled?

Many industrial boilers are fuelled by traditional sources such as coal or oil, but you might also think about buying a gas-fuelled boiler, or one that runs on biomass. Making the right fuel choice is vital. You might opt for whichever fuel is cheapest at the time, but that isn't always wise. When selecting fuel for industrial boilers, you must consider not just which fuel is cheapest to purchase, but whether the supply of that fuel source is secure in the longer term. There is no point in buying a biomass boiler and finding that your source of biomass closes down. Alternatively, you might choose an oil-fuelled boiler, only to discover that the price of oil keeps rising.

Another consideration is how you will store the fuel on your site. Perhaps you have a shed to store the fuel for your present boiler. If you opt for oil or gas fuel for your new boiler, you must put different arrangements in place to safely store the flammable materials.

A final concern relating to your fuel choice is what additional expenses will your choice of fuel lead you to incur. There are often minor adaptions to industrial boilers to accommodate particular fuels. For example, coal-fired industrial boilers will need scrubbers and precipitators fitted to extract dangerous gases and fly ash from the boiler system. Installing and maintaining these extra components must be factored into your calculations.  

Do you need high-pressure steam?

One question that you must answer is whether you will be using the boiler to generate high-pressure or low-pressure steam. The required steam pressure will dictate the type of industrial boilers you might use and help you decide between a water-tube boiler and a firetube boiler. If you must have high-pressure steam, a fire-tube boiler is an obvious choice, but if that isn't a requirement, the lower purchase and maintenance costs of a water-tube boiler could be more attractive. 

Contact a local industrial boiler service to learn more.