food grade product line by Water Services Ltd

Problems caused by scaling.

Normally the steam boiler uses an external heat source much hotter than the boiler water. The metal tubes in the boiler are kept cool by the boiler water. When scale forms, it acts like an insulating material between the water and the metal.

This results in the metal tubes operating at a higher temperature. The greater the thickness of scale, the greater the insulating effect and the higher the temperature of the tubes. At sufficiently high temperatures, the tube can lose tensile strength and rupture.

The insulating property of a scale can act in any part of the boiler system to reduce the heat transfer capacity of affected areas.