- A boiler has a separate container attached to it called a burner. The fuel that is used to power the boiler and create the steam needed to heat a home is burned or released into the boiler from the burner. The types of fuel used in household burners are either natural gas, wood chips or oil. Natural gas is supplied through a specialized pipe and released into the boiler, oil is sent through a pressurized tank, while wood chips are blown into the burner. These fuel sources mix with the air and are ignited to create the heat necessary to boil water and create steam.
- Once fuel has been added to the burner and heated to a desired level, the combustion gases that a particular fuel type produces or the fire from the fuel is released into the boiler in order to heat the water inside. Depending on the type of boiler, this can happen in one of two ways--in firetube boilers where fire or gas is sent through tubes that run into the boiler and are surrounded by water and watertube boilers work that in the opposite way--where water runs through a series of pipes and fuel combustions are sent into the boiler to surround them and heat the water. These are rarer, but they are essential when large amounts of steam and heat are necessary. As the water heats, temperatures raise to over 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is when steam is produced. This steam is the key to providing homes with warmth.
- Once steam has been created by the combination of fuel and water, it is then channeled throughout the home. This happens via radiators, under floor vents and specialized pipes that run throughout a home. Some steam is kept contained within the boiler as it works, since the amount that travels from it needs to be contained. Otherwise, the home will become overheated. Since steam builds up more as temperatures rise, it's important to keep track of the boiler while it's running in order to make sure that the steam inside does not build up too much pressure. It's because of this that boilers cannot run continuously, even during the winter months. They must be turned off and on at various intervals in order to not only keep a home warm, but also safe.
