Boiler Installations Vary Widely
Is your business’s boiler on the fritz? Is your company facing the inevitable replacement of an outdated or inefficient boiler system? A boiler system for air heating and, or water heating is chosen for its efficiency, reliability, and long, life span. If you’re in the market for a new boiler there is much to consider. First, should come an assessment of the existing system. If there was no previous system at all to replace, an engineer is probably needed to make the evaluations for size, type, and location for the new boiler, ductwork, wiring, pipes, and the like. Questions to get answered include: Should any part of the current system be kept, like the duct work, wiring, or pipes? For example, if there had been some updating done in the recent past, or there are parts in remarkably good condition even though they are old, there may be less to replace. Have your needs changed? Has there been square footage added or removed? Are you using the best kind of boiler firing, gas, oil, or coal?
Once an accurate assessment of the company’s needs has been done, the next step is planning the boiling system, and finally installation. Many industrial boiler systems are custom made because each site will have a unique set up and placement for its system. The process, from start to finish, can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the amount of work involved. Be sure to use a contractor interested in doing the job right the first time, as there may be prefabricated boilers appropriate for your company’s size, however, the boiler is often the least of one’s worries. Depending on the boiler being installed, there are a lot of parts to consider beyond the boiler itself: tubing, welding sites, burners, calorifiers, smoke vents, and the need for a combustion analysis.
It is said that a stitch in time saves nine, so to it is with maintenance of a new boiler. Proactive, regular maintenance on a boiler can increase the efficiency and life span of a system, and likely prevent most, unplanned shut-downs because individual parts are inspected for potential problems or cleaned before more trouble can occur. A boiler installation is a pricey but important investment for companies and a reliable contractor should be used to make the process as smooth as possible.