Have you ever wondered how your boiler came to be?
Your boiler represents the great progress made during the Industrial Revolution, but the basic components remain the same today as they did several hundred years ago. Of course, there has been the development of new ideas and innovation but the science behind what makes a boiler work has not changed much since the Industrial Revolution.
The birth of the boiler can be traced back to the boiler that was used in transportation. Big ships and trains used an early boiler tube made of steel casing with tube sheets welded on at both ends. A door was set so that the boiler could be opened for inspecting and cleaning. They are powered by coal or wood and had to be cleaned often to avoid an accumulation of soot forming. They may seem basic by today’s standards, but they were the backbone powering the Industrial Revolution.
During the First World War, a new type of boiler was created that used a tube that was bent not straight. This meant that the boiler could be more compact and more effective in dealing with the cold-water feed. Then came the boiler made of cast iron tubes which filled the gap that bent tube boilers couldn’t do well, which became effective for creating a low-pressure steam for things like heating buildings. It was heavy and awkward but an important development to the boiler because it could be made in many different forms and applied to the method that required low pressure steam applications.
Boilers also further developed during World War II and in the industrial explosion that occurred soon afterwards. Different boiler tubes were created which became faster and more efficient in converting water to steam. Copper began to be used but had to be changed frequently, causing a problem. More recently, in the last few decades, condensing boilers have come into use. For a Boiler Servicing Cheltenham company visit www.blu-fish.co.uk/gas-heating-services-cheltenham/boiler-repair-cheltenham/
The idea to heat water has roots way back in Roman times where archaeological sites show us proof that the Romans built a large bath and heated water inside. As far as 298-306 AD, we see the Romans created early pipeline techniques because they believed in the healing powers of a warm water bath.
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Jumping ahead to London in 1868, an artist named Benjamin Waddy Maughan created domestic water heating equipment, though it was a bit dangerous! Cold water was run through a cable which was then heated by hot gases from the burner. The water was heated and then run to the sink or tub, but the danger came from the lack of exhaust to remove gas from the room.
This invention, however, inspired a man called Edwin Ruud, a mechanical engineer from Norway, to create an automatic storage water heater. He moved to America and became a pioneer of commercial and domestic water heating systems.
