How do commercial boilers work?

Now that the harsh cold winter has arrived, it is time to check your heating system, and this means the boiler. Whether you are in an office building, school, hospital, or manufacturing facility, you’ll be depending on a commercial boiler. If you are toying around with the idea of getting one, read below to know more.

Commercial boilers are pressurized systems. They use either electricity or combustible fuel for heating the water in one or more large tanks. Once done, they distribute the heat through air ducts, water pipes or steam. Note that natural gas is the most commonly used fuel. In some cases, the boiler heats water or steam and this is passed through radiators. The result? You now have comfortable and ventilated indoor spaces.

Burner: It is the crucial part that provides flames to heat the water in the boiler. The primary task of the burner is to create a mixture of fuel with oxygen that produces a consistent and efficient burning flame.

Combustion chamber: It is the area within the boiler where the fuel gets burned. It is where the burner resides. It is designed for the high-temperature combustion of volatile gases. For this reason, it is made of cast iron, steel or other heavy-duty metal.

Heat exchanger: This transfers the heat produced by the burners to the water inside the boiler. This component is vital and usually made of cast iron, copper or steel tubes.

Controls: Using these, you can set the water temperature, the ignition, and the air and fuel supply mixtures. Also, internal pressure is now under your control.

Exhaust stack: Alternately known as the flue, the exhaust stack consists of one or more pipes for carrying the exhaust gases to the outside.

Commercial boilers work efficiently to distribute heat evenly across the premises. They are made to run for extended periods. The system works because water conducts thermal energy quickly and retains heat longer than air. This saves you money.

Commercial boilers are often used along with cooling towers and chiller systems for heating purposes. They are popular in the food, hospitality, and healthcare systems.

For those seeking commercial boilers, here are five brands to consider:

Weil McLain make a range of boilers to suit your needs. They offer Cobalt boilers, the Evergreen Pro, LGB, EGH, SVF, Slimfit and other series. Their Eco-Tech High-Efficiency Condensing Boiler, in 2020, was marked as a highly efficient boiler ideal for light commercial applications. You can choose between direct vent and direct exhaust options.

Acme engineering provides environmental products that help with air quality monitoring, liquid filtration and GHG-free heating solutions. The brand also has an expansive range of boilers, including Gas-Fired Steam Superheaters, Electric Steam Boilers, Electric Hot Water Boilers, High-Voltage Electrode Boilers, and Auxiliary Boilers.

Waterloo Manufacturing makes Vapor Power International and Cleaver Brooks boilers. The Cleaver Brooks ClearFire-CE is compact size and offers variable-flow pumping capabilities. Also, it is a high-mass and condensing hydronic boiler. These factors allow for maximum operational efficiency.

Sierra Instruments offers RedySmart, RedyCompact and SmartTrak Mass Flow Controllers, QuadraTherm Thermal Insertion Meters and InnovaMass Vortex Flow Meters. Also, the company offers sizing tools that enable you to configure the flow meters.

Thermo-Kinetics is a leading manufacturer of Thermocouples and RTDs in Canada, to provide temperature management and end-to-end control. The company also manufactures other products, including Resistance Temperature Detectors, Protection Tubes, Transmitters & Alarms, TR6 Resistance Compensators and Manifold Valves.

A-1 Heating and Air Conditioning specializes in commercial HVAC installations and solutions. Give us a call or email for an estimate on a boiler inspection or replacement. We’d be happy to schedule your annual boiler maintenance and cleaning appointment. We offer outstanding warranties on our commercial boilers.