When someone asks if a steam boiler is safe, it’s comparable to asking if driving a car is safe. There’s a certain amount of risk involved in both. However, when operated and maintained properly, boilers are every bit as safe, if not more so, than a moving car. Just like a vehicle, certain features in the design of a boiler contribute to its enhanced safety. At Thermogenics, we correlate the “safeness” of a boiler with its “stored” or “potential” energy output. To do this, we examine the total volume of water in the boiler at any given point in time. The more water contained in a steam boiler, the more the energy must be effectively “managed” by the boiler system. A sudden release of energy from a boiler that is beyond the threshold, while highly rare, has the potential to result in a catastrophic event. Thermogenics’ steam boilers are designed and built with this “safety” factor top of mind. Using forced circulation, our proprietary pumps move water through the Thermogenics’ coiled tubes located within the pressure vessel. The required steam output is achieved rapidly as a smaller volume of water is moved through the combustion heated vessel and converted to steam much faster. The amount of water within the coiled tube boiler at any given point in time is much less than traditional designs used for the same steam output. This means that the potential energy that could suddenly be released, possibly with catastrophic effect, is also much less. We have come a long way with safety as an industry and more emphasis has been placed on the importance of preventative measures such as proper maintenance and engineer supervision. The most important safety measure for any type of boiler is proper maintenance. We simply cannot stress enough how crucial it is to regularly check and test the safety limits of boilers. Given that the average lifespan of a boiler should be 25 to 30 years, it is important that as a boiler ages, it is properly maintained and monitored so that a new unit can be recommended when the time is right. Quarterly checks and annual full inspections are best practice even when the boilers are designed like Thermogenics’ boilers are. Remember, all boilers, including the most advanced technology boilers require tune-ups and maintenance. Proper boiler ownership includes a commitment to ongoing service and care. Ensuring the product we put out into the world is as safe and efficient as it can be is of the utmost importance to me and my team. I am proud to say that I have played an important role in the design of our products. I don’t take this responsibility lightly. My preference, and how I like to train others, is to have people grow with the company so they know it from the ground up. Continual innovation and improvement are in the very DNA of our team and what we do at Thermogenics. What’s Next: We are currently heading up the design of low NOx burners at Thermogenics. These low NOx burners further our commitment to responsible corporate citizenship by reducing emissions by way of our design.