10 Ways to Save Money in the Boiler Room | ACHR News

Whether running hydronic or steam boilers, there are many ways to reduce operational costs throughout their life cycles. 

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1. Select new equipment with lower operating costs &#; When choosing new equipment, initial costs can be daunting. While there may be a natural inclination to try to save money at every step, the long-term consequences of the selection should be factored into the purchase decision. 

A boiler is a long-term asset that will be in service for many years. During that time, the greatest expense will be its operating cost. This expense can be difficult to plan for, as there are many external influences on the cost of fuel, but efficiency upgrades will reduce it over time. Estimating how long it will take to recover the extra cost of upgrades via energy savings can also help influence this decision.

2. Properly operate condensing boilers &#; A condensing boiler can achieve energy efficiency of up to 98% when operated properly. These boilers are engineered to withstand lower stack temperatures without damage and are designed to work best with the lowest possible return temperature. 

Condensing boilers begin to increase efficiency over noncondensing boilers only when there is a large delta between the return temperature and the operating temperature. Efficiency reaches its peak with a return temperature of 80°F or less. 

Facilities often replace noncondensing boilers with condensing ones without changing how they are operated. Without a low return-water temperature, a condensing boiler is no more efficient than a noncondensing one. 

3. Monitor the water temperature on a steam boiler &#; Being that a steam boiler is made of steel, consider the thermal characteristics of the material. Steel does not react well to rapid changes in temperature; the expansion and contraction cycles can fatigue the steel and cause failure points to develop. So, during boiler operation, it&#;s important to ensure any temperature change is gradual. 

A steam boiler will cycle on and off to maintain a set pressure. When the boiler has been off for an extended period, the water inside it becomes cold, and the delta between the water temperature and the burner output can be extreme, leading to thermal shock. 

Adding a temperature sensor allows the firing rate to gradually increase as the boiler warms. Without monitoring the water temperature, this type of thermal shock protection is not possible, since simply monitoring steam pressure does not accurately indicate a warm vessel.

4. Connect VFDs to fans and pumps &#; Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are common in today&#;s boiler rooms. In addition to providing controllability, understanding the affinity laws that dictate the relationship between flow, power, and other characteristics of operation can lead to energy savings when properly applied.

The affinity laws define flow as being linear to the speed, changing together in proportion. The power used is the cube of the speed. What this means is that as you increase the speed of a fan or pump, the energy usage increases exponentially by a factor of eight. This can be used to save energy, as a motor operating at 80% uses about half of the electricity as a motor operating at 100%. This can be confirmed by calculating the multiplier, which is the motor speed cubed (0.8 x 0.8 x 0.8 = 0.512). 

5. Add a host sequencing panel &#; When there are multiple boilers connected to the same water loop or steam header, each will act independently to satisfy the load. This can result in excessive cycling and inefficiency. One solution is to connect the boilers together with a host sequencing panel. 

A host sequencing panel manages multiple boilers by controlling the cycling and modulation of each unit. A single temperature or pressure sensor monitors the output, and an algorithm, tuned by a qualified service technician, ensures that the set point is satisfied in the most economical way. Advanced options may be available for remote connectivity, pump control, or other boiler-specific functionality. 

6. Take advantage of monitoring options &#; The best way to monitor a boiler is to ask about an Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring solution. These systems are designed to offer the most important operating and notification data for a boiler at anytime from anywhere.

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Users can remotely monitor their boiler systems, view key performance indicators, receive alerts, utilize an asset diagnostic tool, and review trend reports, moving from a reactive approach to a predictive stance in order to reduce boiler maintenance costs and improve uptime. 

7. Incorporate oxygen trim &#; An oxygen trim system adds a sensor into the combustion stack to continuously monitor the level of oxygen during boiler operation. The oxygen level or stack temperature can be monitored to create an alarm if either one falls outside of a defined range. Algorithms monitor the oxygen level and make controlled adjustments to one of the channels of combustion (typically air) to keep the level at a target set point. This action has many safeguards to ensure these adjustments keep combustion safe. 

Without oxygen trim, variations in ambient temperature will result in changes to combustion efficiency. This will lead to higher energy costs, and it may be necessary to retune the boiler if there is a significant temperature change. 

8. Seek out utility rebates and incentives &#; Utility providers are always looking for ways to increase capacity in their service areas. They need to find ways to satisfy the constantly growing energy requirements of their customers. 

One method natural gas utilities use to reduce customer usage is the policy of curtailment. In this case, a customer stops using natural gas when requested in exchange for a lower fuel price. This requires customers to utilize burners that can run on multiple fuels. 

Rebates may be offered when equipment is upgraded to more energy-efficient models. It is also common for electric utilities to provide rebates when VFDs are added to existing motor-driven devices. 

9. Apply proper instrumentation and technique during commissioning &#; The performance of a boiler after commissioning is only as good as the amount of time and effort that is put into the task. It is imperative to select qualified, trained technicians who understand what is required for a professional outcome. 

With a modulating boiler, it is critical that the firing rate from low to high fire has linear heat output. To do so, it is also important to use instrumentation to verify fuel flow rates. Make sure the maximum output is reached during high fire and the turndown is exactly as advertised. 

Always use a calibrated combustion analyzer when tuning the burner. Determine the target oxygen levels for both high and low fire from the burner manufacturer. Never adjust combustion without monitoring the analyzer.

The last step is to properly tune the PID parameters to maintain the desired set point. If commissioning is done well, tuning the PID loop should not be difficult and will result in good performance. 

10. Conduct a boiler plant optimization &#; When replacing or upgrading a boiler, use the opportunity to see what other upgrades you can make in the boiler room. Consider the boiler room and its components as one integrated system rather than as a collection of separate components. 

When selecting controls, seek out a system with the capacity to connect all the required devices. This enables the boiler and accessories to be controlled by a single piece of equipment, enhancing system efficiency and savings. Also consider updating the deaerator, water level, draft, or other dedicated controls as well as chemical feed and makeup water systems to optimize operations.  

By Carlo Zaskorski, corporate director of controls, Cleaver-Brooks

I keep my heat set at 65 and turn it down to 60 at night. In the morning the boiler runs for an hour before it finally shuts down. Do you think I should just leave it at 65 all the time? I heat with oil and go through over a gallons a season. I have a new steam  boiler but that doesn't seem to be saving any oil. I have other questions concerning new vents as well as the thermostat but will hold off on those so that I don't confuse the issue.  0 steam

This would probably do better in the strictly steam section of the forum.

However,  I typically turn my heat down to 67F at night and bring it back to 70F in the morning.  Not sure how much it saves me but it makes it more comfortable to sleep. 



One thing that is important is that your boiler doesn't build too much pressure or cycle due to pressure during the recovery.  If it does you are probably wasting fuel doing it rather than saving.

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0 Do I save money by turning down the heat (steam boiler)

I don't know? Does a steam boiler have an aquastat? I know that tyhe goverment says to turn down the heat but it seems that unlike forced air that quickly heats steam or hot water for that nmatter takes a long time to get hot enough to actually give off heat. As I mentioned my steam bolier goes for over an hour to raise the temperture 5 degrees. That means about 2 gallons of oil times 30 days in a month = $60 dollars a month just to bring the temp back up to 65 degrees 0 Turn down

Steam systems don't typically like large turn downs and many think that it doesn't really save any real cash.



I'm retired now and what I've done in the last few years is to being the system up in stages. At 10PM the thermostat sets back to 59, at 630 in the morning it comes up to 62 then late in the afternoon it comes up to 65 when I'm likely not very active - reading or on the computer. i don't know how much fuel I save but I do know my fuel consumption is pretty low for this location considering the barn I live in.



Bob Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
3PSI gauge0 Depends

On a lot of variables as to setback savings.... Or not.



1.how well a structure is insulated, and air sealed. Typically the less a house is sealed the more savings you will realize.



2. What kind of heating system you have. Like the report link says posted above.



3. How much you set back, or are willing to tolerate as a setback. It is true the narrower the delta t between the inside, and outside the slower the heat loss in this case will be.



4. How long you are away from the home for,deep setbacks. Vacations etc. this always makes sense.



5. Comfort verses dollars saved toleration. If you are warm blooded, or do not mind roaming the home well dressed then lower temps will benefit.



6. Type of fuel used obviously the type of fuel, and its cost per btu is going to effect the amount of money you save. 0 Venting

It is taking at least 10 minutes before the radiators start to heat up and after an hour some are still not hot. I know that the vents need to be replaced because I took one off and the radiator heated up. I did some research and decided to go with a non adjustable brand, Gorton to be specific. It looks like I will be using the #5 in the two rooms closest and #6 in most of the other rooms. I am not sure what the downside is to putting in a "C" in two areas. Can anyone give me direction here?  Of te two areas one is pretty far from the boiler on the second floor the other isn't that far from the boiler but is next to a room without a radiator and I would like to get heat there quickly. The basement has a Hoffman #75 installed. 0