Manufacturers fit industrial boiler systems with a number of controls and safety features that help ensure that the boilers are not only safe, but also operating efficiently. When any of these controls are defective or get damaged, they reduce the energy efficiency of the entire system. This then increases the size of the energy bills that a facility has to shoulder. Malfunctioning parts also make a boiler dangerous to operate. In some cases, can lead to complications that may end up causing irreparable damage to the boiler.

Early detection of defective and malfunctioning boiler parts is key when it comes to ensuring an efficiency and safe boiler operations. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by using a thermal imager. The following are two of the defects that a thermal imager will come in handy in helping you detect.

Malfunctioning steam traps

Steam traps help to trap any air and condensate from the steam produced by a boiler. This helps to guarantee a more-effective heating operation. When this boiler device starts to malfunction, it can remain open when it should in fact be closed. This will then lead to a substantial amount of heat, something that will then lead to an inefficient boiler system. As a result, there will be a rise in the amount of energy that the boiler consumes leading to increased energy bills.

A thermal imager can be used to detect such a malfunction. This is because with a thermal imager, one can determine the expected heat difference when the steam trap is functioning properly and then compare it to the actual reading. If there is a variation between the expected reading and the actual reading, then you likely have a defective steam trap.

Loose or damaged insulation

Pipes that transport hot water away from the boiler are usually insulated. This insulation usually helps to prevent excessive heat loss, something that usually goes a long way towards keeping energy consumption under control. With time, this insulation can get loose. It can also get damaged. When either of these things happens, the areas with the loose or damaged insulation will tend to lose more-than-normal amounts of heat. This can then lead to an increase in energy costs.

A thermal imager can be used to detect areas along the piping system that lose too much heat. These are the areas that likely need new insulation installation. Using a thermal imager to detect these sections will help reduce the reliance on the trial-and-error method, something that will help you to fix this problem faster.

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