The Basics of Commercial Boilers
Do you know how the boiler works to provide heating for your commercial building? You have to understand the basics of your boiler to know how to keep it in a good operating condition.
But what exactly is a commercial boiler?
A commercial boiler is a pressurized system that uses electricity or burns combustible fuel to heat water that’s used to provide heating for your commercial building.
Your commercial boiler must be efficient because the entire building depends on it. An efficient boiler keeps the building comfortable and safe without wasting energy. Be sure to take measures to ensure yours runs as efficient as possible.
Read on to learn about the basics of commercial boilers and some vital efficiency tips:
What Happens Inside the Boiler?
Inside the boiler, the electric coils or burners produce heat that’s transferred to the water. Depending on the type of your boiler, this process produces either hot water or steam. The steam or hot water is circulated through pipes throughout your boiler.
The steam or hot water enters radiators that distribute the heat providing the heating needed to ensure your building comfortable.
Like other types of HVAC equipment, commercial boilers comprise many different components. Some of the basic ones are highlighted below.
Burner
This is the part that produces the heat needed to heat the water inside the boiler. Depending on your system, you can either use oil, natural gas or renewable energy.
The heat exchanger is a key component that transfers the heat generated by the burner. The heat exchanger adopts the simple idea of boiling water in a kettle.
This is a sector inside the boiler that burns fuel converting it to heat. This chamber hosts the burner and is particularly designed to offer a safe area for high-temperature combustion of fuel. The combustion chamber is made of copper, bundles of steel tubes or cast iron.
These are a series of pipes that transport exhaust gases from the interior of your building to the outside. They must be keenly constructed to make sure that toxic gases are safely carried away from the inside of your building.
The system controls allow you to set internal pressure, water temperature, fuel supply mixtures, and ignition. They regulate the rate of fuel consumption, and how regularly the burner fires. The safety controls also ensure the internal pressure don’t get too high.
Do you want to install a new boiler in your new building or you just want to install a new boiler as a way of modernizing your building? Either way, there are things you need to consider before buying a boiler for your commercial building.
There are modern boilers that use renewable technologies such as solar thermal systems, air source, and biomass as a source of fuel. These boilers are more expensive to buy than those that use oil and gas as a source of fuel.
However, they are the best option considering they are environment-friendly and have low running costs.
Does the boiler meet the standards required by efficient condensing technology? You should buy a boiler that has more than a 95% efficiency. A commercial boiler’s efficiency is measured by how it converts the fuel to heat.
Choosing an efficient boiler is making a significant contribution to protecting the environment.
Weather compensation is a simple technology that uses outdoor sensors to harness the weather elements signals to adjust your indoor spaces temperatures.
Apart from the cost of buying the boiler, you also need to take into consideration the installation cost. Do you know the installation cost could end up being more expensive than the cost of the boiler?
There are three things that determine the cost of a commercial boiler: the model, brand, and size. These three factors influence the cost of installation as well.
What’s the size of your commercial building? The size of your premises determines your budget for the purchase and installation of the commercial boiler.
The location of the boiler room will determine how much the technician will charge you. If your boiler is being installed in an accessible place, then you’re likely to pay less.
Do you know that a boiler is a volatile system carrying high-pressure steam or extremely hot water? You need to be very careful around the boiler. Ensure your boiler is working properly and all its safety control systems are working properly as well.
High-pressure steam or hot water leaks can cause serious damage or injuries. If not well maintained, a boiler can explode, which can also result in property damage or serious injury.
You need to invite a professional to conduct preventive maintenance within the recommended period. This maintenance not only ensures your system functions properly but also efficiently and safely. If you don’t have training in handling commercial boilers, you shouldn’t attempt to maintain it by yourself.
What are the specific preventive maintenance activities that will keep your boiler functioning efficiency? Here are some key efficiency tips:
You need to clean the boiler to remove the debris inside it. If this debris are not removed, they will end up coating its tubes. This coating reduces the efficiency of heat transfer.
The more the residue builds up, the higher the chances of a system breakdown. This is why you need an HVAC professional to clean the boiler tubes.
Do you know insulation is necessary? Valves, fittings or condensate pipes that aren’t insulated lose heat, reducing system efficiency and increasing costs.
What’s the quality of the water that’s inside your boiler? Is it contaminated with returned condensate, organic matter or dissolved materials? You need a professional to inspect the water quality of your boiler.
When sodium, magnesium, chlorides, bicarbonates, and sulfates dissolve in the boiler water, they result in scale buildup. This buildup reduces the transfer of heat and the likelihood of boiler to breakdown.
Do you keep records of all your inspection logs? This will help you know when your boilers need an inspection.
To ensure reliable and efficient boiler operation, it’s advisable to keep a close eye on commercial boilers. A malfunctioning boiler can cause costly damages. Check under and around the boiler daily to ensure there are no water leaks.
Inspect the pressure and temperature readings to make sure they remain within the standard range.
Make sure your vent termination is free of debris, snow or ice. Listen carefully for abnormal noises and vibrations coming from the boiler.
Contact us today for an intensive inspection and preventative maintenance appointment.
