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Today’s process and heating applications continue to be powered by steam and hot water. The mainstay technology for generating heating or process energy is the packaged firetube boiler. The packaged firetube boiler has proven to be highly efficient and cost effective in generating energy for process and heating applications.

Conducting a thorough evaluation of boiler equipment requires review of boiler type, feature and benefit comparison, maintenance equirements and fuel usage requirements. Of these evaluation criteria, a key factor is fuel usage or boiler efficiency.

Boiler efficiency, in the simplest terms, represents the difference between the energy input and energy output. A typical boiler will consume many times the initial capital expense in fuel usage annually. Consequently, a difference of just a few percentage points in boiler efficiency between units can translate into substantial savings. The efficiency data used for comparison between boilers must be based on proven performance to produce an accurate comparison of fuel usage. However, over the years, efficiency has been represented in confusing terms or in ways where the efficiency value did not accurately represent proven fuel usage values. Sometimes the representation of “boiler efficiency” does not truly represent the comparison of energy input and energy output of the equipment.

This Efficiency Facts Booklet is designed to clearly define boiler efficiency. It will also give you the background in efficiency needed to ask the key questions when evaluating efficiency data, and provide you with the tools necessary to accurately compare fuel usage of boiler products, specifically firetube type boilers.

Remember, the initial cost of a boiler is the lowest portion of your boiler investment. Fuel costs and maintenance costs represent the largest portion of your boiler equipment investment. Not all boilers are created equal. Some basic design differences can reveal variations in expected efficiency performance levels. Evaluating these design differences can provide insight into what efficiency value and resulting operating costs you can expect. However, every boiler operates under the same fundamental thermodynamic principles. Therefore, a maximum theoretical efficiency can be calculated for a given boiler design. The maximum value represents the highest available efficiency of the unit.
If you are evaluating a boiler where the stated efficiencies are higher than the theoretical efficiency value, watch out! The efficiency value you are utilizing may not truly represent the fuel usage of the unit.

In the end efficiency comes down to value. The value of the boiler. The value of the burner. The value of the support provided throughout the life of the equipment.

Cleaver-Brooks, we have built our reputation by manufacturing the highest efficiency and highest value products in the industry. We pride ourselves in providing you with the most comprehensive and reliable service support through our “best in the industry” representative network. When it comes to efficiency, we believe in sticking to the facts.

Because the facts say there is a difference between boilers and boiler companies. The value of buying a higher efficiency CB boiler will pay dividends every day, every year, throughout the life of the equipment.

Download BOILER EFFICIENCY: FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FIRETUBE BOILERS AND BOILER EFFICIENCY (21 pages pdf files, 261 Kb)