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10 Easy Tips to Increase the Efficiency of the Boiler heat Exchanger

The best way to reduce your operating expenses is to use and maintain energy efficient machines and equipment. Regular upkeep likewise extends the life of your investment, enabling you to get the most out of your capital. Understanding the inner workings of your electric heat exchanger is crucial to effective maintenance. When you know how your boiler heat exchanger works, you’ll be able to apply these efficiency maintenance tips better:

  1. Remember that the majority of heat loss within your boiler heat exchanger comes from the boiler water. Your goal should be to create conditions within the electric heat exchanger that generate the smallest amount of exhaust or flue gas possible. Maintaining the lowest possible temperature within the heat exchanger increases boiler efficiency.

  2. Consider using an economizer. An economizer allows you to use otherwise wasted hot exhaust gas to heat up the feed-water that is on its way to the boiler. This helps save fuel and prevents the potentially damaging effects of feeding your boiler with cold water.

  3. Regularly tune your burner. Boiler efficiency is also affected by insufficient air. Proper combustion requires enough oxygen inside the boiler. When air is insufficient, the carbon within the fuel is incompletely oxidized, resulting in the production of carbon monoxide. This causes much lower fuel efficiency and less heat because fuel isn’t completely burned. Low air also generates smoke, soot, and carbon monoxide, which all make very dangerous conditions.

  4. Install a VFD (variable frequency drive). VFDs offer unbelievable power savings, thanks to the use of circulation pumps and fans that allow for controlled flow.

  5. Insulate valves in order to avoid valve exposure and prevent heat loss, which can make boiler rooms unbearably hot. Insulating your boiler valves will help increase boiler room comfort and reduce burn risks.

  6. Remove soot and build-up on the boiler tube’s fireside. This is especially true for older boiler heat exchanger equipment. Soot and grime in your boiler tube will bring down the heat transfer rate and cause your equipment to work harder, thus increasing fuel use.

  7. Keep the water side clean and free of leaks. This requires diligent water treatment and regular inspection of mud legs or drums. Doing so ensures efficient heat transfer from metal to water. If the boiler isn’t blown down on a regular basis, scale will accumulate on the heat transfer surface, impeding heat transfer.

  8. Recover heat from the blowdown. Your blowdown valve removes boiler water containing both insoluble and soluble solids. This helps reduce the level of dissolved solids, which cause boiler scale. Unfortunately, this also removes hot water, which in turn wastes energy. A blowdown heat exchanger or a flash tank can help recover lost energy and improve the system’s efficiency.

  9. Reduce excess air to ensure efficient combustion. While insufficient air could mean incomplete combustion, excess amounts of air can result in different inefficiencies such as reduced combustion.

  10. Reduce carry over to prevent impurities and ensure proper levels of BTU content at end use.  

Need help? We offer a range of products to help increase operational efficiencies and reduce overhead costs, resulting in an increased bottom line for various businesses. Here at Liquid Process Systems, we serve a long list of industries including manufactured/engineered wood, die casting, asphalt, plastics, adhesives, chemicals, paints, PET, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, recycling, reprocessing, resort and institutional laundries, aerospace, and petrochemical companies.

10 Easy Tips to Increase the Efficiency of the Boiler heat Exchanger