Build Your Portfolio for a Better Boiler Layup This Spring!
March 20, 2024
Longer days and warmer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere are clear signs of spring. For facility managers and water treatment specialists, that means boiler layup is near the top of the to-do list as institutions get ready to turn off the heat and turn on the AC. How they do so can have serious repercussions for next fall and beyond if corrosion is allowed to cause metal loss leading to clogging, leakage, repairs, and an overall shorter service life. Cortec’s boiler layup “animals” are here to make sure that doesn’t happen for seasonal layup and beyond.
The Boiler “Animal” Advantage
Traditional methods of boiler layup such as desiccant and nitrogen purge are inadequate and/or inefficient, requiring removal in the first case and constant pressurization (or potentially expensive reapplication) in the latter. In contrast, Cortec® boiler “animals” typically do not need to be removed before startup. They are available in multiple forms for comprehensive protection in the vapor-phase, liquid-phase, and at the air water interface without requiring an airtight seal.
Dry Layup Portfolio
The Boiler Lizard® is Cortec’s most famous boiler layup “animal.” Since one Boiler Lizard® protects up to 1,000 gallons (3.8 m³) of boiler volume, it is best suited to dry layup of mid-sized boilers. When this water-soluble pouch of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors is placed inside the boiler water side and slit open, it releases corrosion inhibiting vapors that diffuse throughout the empty boiler and adsorb on metal surfaces as a protective molecular layer. When the boiler is refilled, the Boiler Lizard® simply dissolves in the makeup water. The Boiler Egg™ is a great companion to the Lizard because it lies dormant until the boiler is refilled, when it releases a powerful burst of corrosion inhibitors to protect against oxygen pitting at this vulnerable startup period.
The Boiler Gecko™ and Boiler Dragon™ are fogging fluids with similar chemistry but a different application method. The Boiler Gecko™ packages Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors in a convenient EcoAir® air-powered spray can for easy spraying into small boilers and steam components. Each can protects approximately 100 gallons (380 L) of boiler volume. On the other end of the spectrum, Boiler Dragon™ is a waterborne Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibiting fogging fluid designed for dry layup of large boilers and steam components. One gallon will treat approximately 1,000 gallons (1 L/1 m³) of boiler volume.
Water treatment service providers who prefer not to open their boilers for application can add a dose of corrosion inhibiting Boiler Turtle™ to the feedwater or condensate system, pump it to the boiler, and leave the system at high-water level for 24 hours prior to draining for dry layup protection.
Wet Layup Portfolio
The Boiler Turtle™ can also be used for wet layup by treating the water and leaving it at high-water level the entire season. For situations where a boiler must be left on standby (more often for redundant boilers than for seasonal layup), the Boiler Iguana™ can be applied in the same manner as the Boiler Turtle™ and left inside for up to 12 months of protection, with the advantage that it remains effective in systems operating at temperatures up to 302 °F (150 °C). The Boiler Salamander™ can be used for wet layup of high-purity steam boilers. All three wet layup options protect metal surfaces below and above the water level.
Get Ready for Successful Boiler Layup
Whether you work at a university, hospital, or district heating system getting ready to turn down the heat, or whether you just need to do routine maintenance shutdown, Cortec’s boiler animals are sure to be your friends for smoother layup and startup and longer asset service life. Contact Cortec® for specific guidance on seasonal boiler layup or temporary shutdown.
Keywords: boiler layup, spring boiler maintenance, boiler layup best practices, Boiler Lizard, Cortec, Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, nitrogen blanketing alternative, district heating shutdown methods, boiler shutdown methods
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