4 Reasons Why Boiler Feed Water Needs To Be Heated

In this article, I will share some of the reasons why boiler-feed water should be heated before being supplied to the boiler.

If you have no idea what boiler-feed water is, this is what you should know; boiler-feed water is the water that is supposed to be fed into the boiler to be used for steam generation.

Anyway, if you want to learn more about boilers, you should consider reading the article below.

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Heating the boiler feed water is necessary for the efficiency of the boiler. Soon you will know why heating the boiler feed water is very important.

Without wasting time, let me share what you should know about heating boiler-feed water.

This is why boiler feed water needs to be heated before being supplied to the boiler;

1. It prevents scale formation.

Scale formation is one of the chronic problems when it comes to boiler feed water.

Heating the boiler feed water prevents the scale formation that is caused by salts present in the water.

When the boiler feed water is heated the salts (calcium and magnesium) precipitate out leaving the water salt free.

The water usually contains dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium that facilitate the formation of scales in the boiler.

Scale formation in the boiler is dangerous and it’s one of the results that decrease the efficiency of the boiler.

What you should know is that scale formation causes deposits of salt precipitates inside the boiler, in the steam line distribution systems and feed water piping system.

Scale formation in the boiler will hinder heat transfer thus decreasing the steaming capacity of the boiler thus resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of the boiler.

When the scale formation blocks the steam line distribution system, it may end up causing blistering and rupturing if the system is not cleaned.

Also, it will reduce the pressure at which the steam is supplied to the point of application which will end up lagging the processes in the power plant.

It’s hectic when it comes to the maintenance of these steam distribution lines that are affected by the scale formation issue.

And that is why it’s very important to heat up the boiler feed water before supplying it to the boiler to prevent all these problems.

So, heating boiler-feed water is one way of treating it.

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2. Heating boiler feed water removes dissolved gasses.

Boiler feed water contains dissolved gasses that are not friendly to the boiler and its components.

And that is why it’s essential to heat up the boiler feed water before it’s supplied to the boiler.

Dissolved gasses like oxygen, carbon dioxide and chlorides can cause corrosion of the boiler and its components.

Especially oxygen in the boiler feed water will only bring huge problems.

Have you ever noticed the boiler, steam line or boiler feed water storage unit having small pits?

These are usually a result of oxygen in the boiler feed water.

These pits if not fixed will result in damage to the boiler and its components.

So, why wait for this huge problem to occur when you can prevent it?

Heating boiler feed water ensures the dissolved gasses are eliminated completely leaving the water safe for use in the boiler.

3. It increases the thermal efficiency of the steam.

The boiler-feed water is supposed to be used in steam generation, right?

It’s just like preheating air that will be used in the furnace to aid in combustion.

Heating the boiler feed water adds initial heat energy to the boiler feed water.

When the water enters the boiler it will already have its initial heat energy from the water preheaters.

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It will be quick for the water to turn into steam because it was preheated before it was supplied to the boiler.

Also, the amount of heat energy that will be required for steam generation will be lower because the boiler feed water was preheated.

This will help in saving fuel and increasing the efficiency of the boiler.

As the steaming capacity of the boiler increases, the steam quantity and quality increase thus hiking the operating efficiency of the boiler.

And that is why it’s important to heat the boiler feed water before supplying it to the boiler.

4. It avoids the thermal stresses of the boiler.

The boiler is usually exposed to extremely high temperatures from the furnace.

Thermal stresses will be experienced within the boiler when the sudden addition of cold water into the boiler happens.

The boiler may be damaged by metal creep because of the cold water that may be added to the boiler when its temperatures are high.

So to prevent the thermal stress within the boiler; the boiler feed water is heated.

When the water enters the boiler it’s at a considerably high temperature thus the thermal stresses within the boiler will be very low.

This will keep the boiler in perfect shape for longer years of use.

So, it’s one of the processes of maintaining the boiler.

Lastly…

It’s important to heat the boiler feed water to ensure that the functioning of the boiler is at its maximum.

Heating the boiler feed water eliminates many problems that will end up decreasing the efficiency of the boiler and result in increased operation costs.

If you want to increase the boiler efficiency, you should consider preheating boiler feed water.

It may cost you when it comes to the initial purchase of the water heats (surface or contact) but it’s worth it.