Choosing the right burner is essential for the sake of your organization’s efficiency. Being able to have constant access to a heat source whether you need to heat, melt, or weld is important if you want your employees to be able to perform to the best of their abilities. Applications are also becoming increasingly complex by the day and making the wrong decision could end up costing you dearly. Here are a few things you’ll need to consider when picking an industrial burner.
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Understand Ratings
Understanding ratings is probably the single most important thing when choosing industrial boilers. You want a burner that has a high enough rating to handle your needed temperatures and capacity. Make sure that you pick a burner with a higher max input rating than your maximum firing rate on your equipment.
Consider Turndown
Another thing you’ll need to pay special attention to is turndown. This is the ratio between a burner’s highest and lowest capacity. You want a burner that can handle the full range of applications in your operation. A system with a higher ratio will be able to handle a larger number of applications, which means that there will be less need for cycling. Constantly cycling burners will increase wear and tear on your machinery and add to your costs, so this is something you’ll need to think about.
Installation
Installation is often something people see as a detail but could make a world of difference when it comes to maintenance. You want a unit that will be easy to mount, adjust, and access. You don’t want one of those huge refractory units that are a pain and fortune to service.
Go for something that will allow you to easily remove the head and reach essential components without taking the whole thing apart. Know, however, that there is a benefit to in-duct systems as they handle cross-velocity better than wall mounted units, so that’s something you’ll need to take into consideration.
The Type of Fuel
This is another essential aspect, and you need to understand the benefits and disadvantages of each type of fuel before you make your pick. Natural gas is often the least expensive option and readily available to those located near lines. Some people will go with fuel instead because they don’t have ready access to natural gas, but transport and cost per BTU will be higher.
Another option would be to go with propane. While it’s slightly more expensive than natural gas, it’s still an affordable option and can be found everywhere. It’s also one of the cleanest options available, though systems that use propane are a bit more complex, and therefore costly. You also have electrical systems that are the easiest and cleanest to use, but also the most expensive.
These are all factors you’ll need to look into in-depth before you choose a burner system. This is not a decision you can take lightly, so make sure that you get diverse opinions and do your research before you make your pick.
