A boiler is used to provide energy in the form of steam or hot water to meet process applications or building heating requirements. Boilers range in size from very small residential boilers (20,000 Btu/ hour) to boilers used in the production of energy that consume millions of Btu/hour.
In between these two extremes are many different sizes used to meet all types of commercial and industrial applications. Commercial boilers are characterized as a space heating application with possible incidental use in process applications. Industrial boilers are characterized as providing process heat with incidental use for space heating.
Boiler systems require maintenance and monitoring including controlling the level of solids in the boiler which are left as a byproduct of the boiler operation. This process is known as blowdown. Additionally, chemicals and possibly mechanical equipment are used to remove components from the feedwater before it enters the boiler system to prevent corrosion in the system or reduce build up.
Despite the myriad of boiler sizes and models, there are three main types of boiler designs.
There are many types of accessory equipment that may be required for a boiler room operation. Not all accessories will be needed for every boiler installation.