Here Are 6 Facts About Steam Boilers For People Who Are Unfamiliar With Them
Today, we live in a world of technology. Technology and the internet have become the medium where relationships, transactions, and entertainment happen. Many of us find it hard to survive a day without it. Without technology, many businesses would be tremendously affected.
But before technology came into the picture, many pieces of machinery kept industries going. One of which is steam boilers. Steam boilers are big pieces of machinery that produce steam. Despite being known for steam production, steam boilers have a lot of uses—that many industries rely on them.
Today, many are unfamiliar with steam boilers.
Even though boilers are essential to industries, many people are still unfamiliar with them. Even students rarely recall what steam boilers are. As a result, most people are unaware of the roles that boilers play in our daily lives.
I know that it can be hard to learn and understand how pieces of machinery work—especially if they’re not your niche. I can guarantee that only 1 out of 10 people would be willing to learn about a piece of machinery in their free time. However, learning about machinery like a steam boiler could also give us a new perspective on how certain things work.
We could start by learning the easy and fun stuff. Diving into the technical stuff takes the fun of learning out of it. Instead, we’ll try to get to know steam boilers in the easiest possible way. Without further ado, let’s look at some steam boiler facts for people who are unfamiliar with them.
1. Steam boilers are huge tube-like pieces of machinery.
If you show a picture of a steam boiler to random people on the streets, we can’t guarantee that half of them would be able to name it. Often, it takes someone familiar with boilers to recognise them.
Commonly, boilers used in factories are huge, tube-like pieces of machinery. Since they’re huge, they can take up a lot of space in a specific room. That’s why most businesses that have boilers have ‘boiler rooms’ since boilers are hazardous.
You can see that the outside of the boiler has an inspection manway where they can check the condition of the tubes inside. Aside from that, there are several valves outside the boiler where steam is passing through. Usually, boilers are in the colour grey. Other manufacturers also produce boilers in the colour blue or red.
The next time you see tube-like, cylindrical machinery, you can guess that it is a steam boiler. When you’re in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask. That’s the only way for you to confirm whether it is a steam boiler or not.
2. Steam boilers produce steam with the help of fuel, electricity, and water.
Steam boilers need water to produce steam. Without water, there will be no steam to produce. Hence, many industries will be doing their work differently. After all, steam has an essential role in many businesses.
Depending on the boiler type, the water becomes steam with the help of fuel or electricity. Typically, the boiler will generate steam by heating the water. The heated water then becomes steam—passing through the boiler’s pipes.
To add, steam boilers burn fuel to generate the energy used to heat the water. Other boiler types use electrical power to do so.
3. Steam boilers come in different types and sizes.
Just like most pieces of machinery, steam boilers have different types and sizes. Two of the most popular ones are the fire tube boiler and the water tube boiler. Often, the features of these two are interchanged by many. Let’s discuss both boiler types briefly to understand their differences.
To help you remember, keep in mind that their main difference is how the gases and water flow inside their tubes. The hot gases flow inside the boiler’s tubes—while the water surrounds them in the fire tube boiler. On the other hand, water tube boilers are the opposite. The water flows inside the tube as the gasses surround them in a water tube boiler.
On top of that, both boiler types have a big difference in their pressure and temperature capacities. Water-tube boilers are known for their ability to produce higher temperatures. They can also handle load fluctuations precisely.
On the other hand, fire tube boilers are known for their simple operating system. They also have compact construction that makes them easier to access and maintain.
4. Steam boilers are easy to maintain.
Despite being huge, boilers are easy to maintain. It’s easy to assume that boilers are hard to maintain because of their size. However, that’s not really the case. Boiler professionals attest that steam boilers require low maintenance.
Unlike other pieces of machinery, boilers can handle a continuous heavy workload with little care and attention. With this, many businesses find steam boilers reliable and efficient pieces of machinery. If machinery does not require high maintenance, it gives businesses confidence in their operations.
5. Steam boilers can last for decades.
Even though steam boilers require low maintenance, you have to make sure that you’re using them accordingly to avoid any problems. Despite being reliable and efficient, their capability has limitations, too.
If you’re overusing and overestimating your boiler’s performance, you can’t expect yours to last for a long time. Boilers can indeed last for decades. However, you need to make sure that you’re using it accordingly—to ensure it lasts that long.
6. They have particular roles in almost every industry.
Last but not least, steam boilers have particular roles in almost every industry. Did you know that the medicines we drink utilise steam boilers? Certain chemicals and components need specific temperatures to maintain. That’s where boilers play a critical role.
Food processing is another industry that relies on boilers. Without them, the food that we eat wouldn’t be safe for consumption. In hospitals, boilers serve to sterilise and disinfect medical equipment. Even our furniture and clothes use boilers in their production.
Isn’t it interesting how boilers contribute to almost everything around us? There’s more to boilers than any steam production needs.
Steam boilers are one of the pieces of machinery that keep the world going.
Hopefully, my post was able to help you learn more about steam boilers. Even though my facts were simple and introductory, you can see how they prove that steam boilers keep the world going. Indeed, without boilers, things around us wouldn’t be as convenient as they are today.
About the author:
Bianca Banda is a writer for Trilogy Boilers Australia, a veteran in specialized boiler and burner installations, servicing, engineering, industrial gas plumbing, and more.
