A closed vessel in which steam
is generated or in which water is heated by fire or electricity.
Steam Boilers have been with us for over two hundred years, and most of the time,
they’re so reliable most folks don’t give them much thought. They sit in
buildings all over the world, transferring heat from fuel to water, allowing us to warm
our buildings or complete our processes. Steam boilers are simple, efficient and reliable.
No machine does a better job of moving BTUs from one place to another.
We’ve used them for space heating since before the United States
Civil War in 1861. Even before the Civil War, we used steam boilers for industrial
processes. Today we use them to run factories, press clothes, wash dishes, pasteurize
milk, sterilize medical equipment, and to heat entire cities! Their capabilities seem
endless. But despite its simplicity, any steam boiler can run into trouble if its control
system doesn’t act properly. If the energy you put into the boiler exceeds what the
boiler can absorb, the boiler can rupture. So you must always be on guard. A simple safety
relief valve of the right capacity and relief-pressure setting protects the boiler from
over pressure. But over pressure isn’t the only thing that can threaten a steam
boiler. There are also the dangers of dry firing. Should the internal water level drop too
low, the boiler can burn out. So here too, you must always be on guard. You see, a steam
boiler needs its water to move the heat away from its metal surfaces. Without the right
internal level of water, heat quickly accumulates. Too much heat creates a very dangerous
operating condition. Boiler manufacturers have always set up minimum safe water level
requirements for their equipment.
Morton Grove
Tel 847 966-3700
Dictionary of Terms