What Does a Condensate Unit Do?
As you know, boilers are typically installed in commercial and industrial settings, and they serve an important role in terms of creating heat and/or electricity for said facility. Boilers work with water, and a common byproduct of an operating boiler is condensate, which is produced as water heats. Contrary to what many people may think, this condensate can be valuable to a boiler system. That is, if you can capture it and send it back for reuse. That’s what a condensate receiver, or condensate tank, can help with – and the benefits are plentiful. Here’s a look:
Key Benefits of Condensate Receivers
As we noted above, condensate receivers are integrated with the boiler and work to capture condensate and return it back to the system as water for reuse. Here’s a closer look at some of the benefits that can be taken advantage of with a condensate receiver:
- Extend equipment life:Any piece of equipment that handles water is subject to corrosion and damage. However, when you recapture something like condensate that’s pure in terms of water quality, you’re able to extend the equipment’s life by minimizing the strain on the system.
- Improve operational efficiency:With a condensate tank, operational efficiency is better streamlined from both a performance and cost standpoint. For instance, a condensate tank can help keep water temperatures more stable, which can help decrease utility bills. Water bills also decrease, as these tanks are essentially working to recycle it, becoming a source of feed water. And since condensate is essentially treated boiler water, its reuse also reduces the chemicals that are necessary as it is reprocessed.
- Save energy:We touched on this benefit in the point above, but it’s worth mentioning again: Condensate systems can help a facility reduce their utility bills, a key overhead expense within any commercial entity.
- Ease of maintenance:Because condensate is pure water, less system blow down is required. That’s because the soils that are present in most waters aren’t present in condensate, helping decrease energy costs and making maintenance easier.
Having a condensate recovery tank installed is a fairly straightforward process. Most service providers can perform the installation within hours, and it’s an easy piece of equipment to operate and observe once it’s up and working. What’s more is that condensate tanks generally work very efficiently and are able to convert nearly all of the water vapor produced to reusable water.
Condensate Receiver Options, Add-Ons
All condensate receivers vary. They’re typically offered as simplex or duplex designs and are built with heavy-duty metals to offer enhanced durability. Some models are even made with 11-gauge stainless steel. Finally, it’s commonly an option to add features such as a control panel, sight glass and/or a thermometer onto the condensate receiver.
As you can see, there’s a lot to like about condensate recovery, and a quality condensate receiver can help you capture this byproduct from boilers that would otherwise just evaporate. So, if you’re serious about keeping your boiler system – regardless of what type of facility it’s in – working efficiently and effectively for the long-term, it’s time to give a condensate tank some serious thought. In most cases, the advantages and benefits of a quality condensate recovery system far outweigh the upfront cost of purchase and installation. For more information on condensate receivers, contact us today.
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