Boilers are central to many industrial operations. Companies need to take great care of their boilers so that they can continue to generate steam and keep things running seamlessly. However, there may be times that there is a build-up of rust and scale in your boiler due to corrosion, or the reaction of metal and water in the presence of oxygen.
Most boilers are designed to resist corrosion, but that doesn’t mean that they’re completely immune from it. When there is too much rust and scale accumulation in the boiler, it can damage the boiler, which can be costly to repair. You may also need to retube the boiler altogether. That’s why you need to conduct proper maintenance of your boiler to prevent corrosion from happening.
Why boilers need to be retubed
The main culprit behind retubing boilers is improper water treatment. It essentially means that hard water, which usually contains too much calcium, penetrates your boiler. When the water boils, it hardens the calcium content in the water and sticks to the tubes. When it persists, the calcium scale outside the boiler’s tubes acts as insulation, and the tubes can no longer transfer heat as they should. When left untreated, the calcium build-up can result in the metal on the tubes to crack. When the cracks get deep enough, there’s no way to repair it any longer. Instead, you will have to replace it entirely.
What’s more, water that’s been incorrectly treated may result in oxidation, causing the boiler’s tubes to rust out. Rusty tubes then lose the ability to hold water, and they’ll have to be replaced throughout the whole system.
Retubing your boiler should not be a regular occurrence. If your facility is treating the water properly, then you can expect the tubes in your boiler to last a long time.
How to treat your water properly
It’s best to enlist the help of a water treatment professional to assess and test the chemistry of your boiler’s feedwater. Once they do a proper inspection, they can offer solutions and suggest recommendations as to how you can improve the treatment of water. That can then help you avoid rust and scale build-up in the boiler.
Routine boiler maintenance is the key to proper boiler care
Of course, the best way to prevent your boiler’s tubes from incurring damage is carrying out preventative maintenance. Conducting a daily boiler blowdown is a great place to start. You should make it a regular part of your chemical treatment program. The blowdowns aid in clearing the boiler of excess calcium, preventing scale build-up over time.
Another effective preventative measure would be using a deaerator system to maintain the correct amount of oxygen in the water that circulates throughout your boiler. Like the boiler blowdown, this step can also protect your boiler’s tubes from rust.
Your boiler’s tubes aren’t designed to last forever, but by doing regular maintenance and treating the water properly, you can extend the tubes’ life and save your business money in the long run.
When you need to replace your boilers, temporary boilers can help you get back to business-as-usual. We offer temporary boiler services in London. Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to help!