What Would You Do to Increase Steam Pressure Rapidly in a Boiler?

Operational Changes

• Because many steam boilers are used in factories, HVAC systems or other delicate systems, they tend to come with controls dedicated to steam pressure management. These dials allow you to directly control steam pressure, and rapidly increasing the pressure is as simple and turning the dial. This increases burner heat and changes pumping actions to form higher pressures that are still within the boiler limits. These devices are located on the boiler control panel.

Temperature Changes

• If you do not have a direct method to control boiler pressure, you can also increase steam pressure by increasing temperature. You can adjust the thermostat for the boiler up in order to encourage the system to reach a higher level of heat, and therefore pressure. Boilers are designed to operate at what is called "maximum design pressure." Changing temperature to increase pressure when it is low is acceptable, but if the boiler is already at design pressure never try increasing temperature, since this just causes an emergency shut-down.

Larger Tanks

• It is easy to assume that a larger tank would equal lower steam pressure, but this is not actually true. A larger tank provides more room for steam pressure to build. If you have a compact tank that is experiencing sudden pressure drops that you need to fix, consider using a larger boiler tank that can create steam more easily and meet higher demands. This is a long-term solution, but permanently and effectively increases the amount of steam pressure you can create.

Pressure-Reducing Valves

• One of the main problems with increasing boiler steam pressure from current levels is the effect on nearby faucets. Increased pressure may make water or steam exits too forceful for easy use. You can solve this problem by including pressure-reducing valves at any points where the pipes lead to fixtures from the boilers. These valves allow increased pressure at the boiler but maintain pressure at exit points.