7 Things That Could Happen To Businesses Without Steam Boilers

Many things around us make the things we use and our daily experiences better, yet we don’t realise them. Most of those things are machinery that many of us don’t know about or don’t realise their importance. One of which is steam boilers. 

In schools, teachers only discuss steam boilers quickly and rarely share their importance. Unless you’re a mechanical engineering student, you also likely only know the word boilers as water heaters and nothing more. But the thing is, steam boilers are efficient and functional pieces that many industries use.

Many businesses in every industry rely on boilers for various reasons. A fun fact is that aside from steam production and water heating, steam boilers play a role in food and chemical production. Hospitals and other institutions also use boilers for sanitation and to utilise waste energy. Indeed, we might not see or realise their presence, but they contribute to the things and experiences we enjoy. 

To appreciate more how reliable steam boilers are, here are seven things that could happen to businesses without them.

1 – Leisure and hospitality businesses might only operate seasonally (excluding winter)

Heat production is the primary use of steam boilers in industries. And a world without them would mean dealing with the winter season excruciatingly. Many hotels and resorts open during winter. And many people also go to resorts and hotels during the holidays. 

It would be challenging for hotels and resorts to provide warm temperatures during winter without steam boilers. Of course, there are alternatives to steam boilers. However, using steam boilers is usually cheaper and better because it provides central heating and is easy to maintain. Using other heat sources could cost leisure and hospitality businesses more money than if they’re using steam boilers. 

Without boilers, it’s possible for some businesses in the leisure industry to only operate seasonally. Specifically, avoiding the winter season.

2 – Beer and wine production would be limited, and their prices could increase drastically, which could lower their demand

One of the industries relying on steam boilers the most is the brewery and distillery industry. Saying that breweries and distilleries would stumble without boilers is not an overstatement, for it is true. Aside from wheat and barley, heat is a critical factor that completes beer production.

Breweries and distilleries need steam boilers to control the temperature of ingredients they use to produce the flavours they like. Most of the time, breweries need large amounts of steam during beer production. It would be challenging for them to control the temperature of the water and achieve their desired beer flavours without boilers.

Aside from temperature needs, breweries and distilleries use boilers for sterilising their ingredients and sanitising their equipment. Without boilers, beer and wine production could have a limitation, and their prices would surely increase drastically. An increase in their prices could affect their demand.

3 – Processed food could spoil quickly, making it challenging for food production businesses to sell fresh and high-quality produce

Another business type that relies on steam boilers is food processing factories. Indeed, boilers are an integral part of food processing. After all, the industry relies on them for various processes. That includes sanitising, processing, cooking, and packaging their food production.

Today, food production businesses prepare most of the food we buy in a way that would prevent spoilage for as long as possible. Even meat and poultry products undergo specific processes with steam boilers. Without boilers, processed food would spoil quickly. As a result, businesses in the food production industry would find it challenging to sell and produce fresh and quality food.

When this happens, the way we buy and prepare our food will change, too.

4 – A medicine production shortage could happen to pharmaceutical businesses

If you’re wondering how vital steam boilers are to us, here’s a scenario. Can you imagine what would happen to us if we got sick and there was a shortage of medicine to buy? That could happen without steam boilers because pharmaceutical companies use boilers for temperature control, just like breweries. 

Surprisingly, steam boilers are a crucial piece of machinery that the pharmaceutical industry uses. Drug manufacturing businesses use boilers to sterilise, purify, and dry chemicals, to make them safe for consumption. Companies in the pharmaceutical industry rely on steam boilers to ensure that the drugs they produce meet the quality standards they need to follow.

A medicine production shortage could happen if steam boilers are out of the picture.

5 – Milk and dairy factories will need to transport their produce quickly before they spoil

Did you know that milk and dairy production utilises steam boilers? If it weren’t for boilers, milk’s shelf life would be so short that it’s hard to enjoy your favourite morning cereal. The process where boilers come into action during milk production is during pasteurisation.

Milk production businesses use boilers to ensure the milk is safe and ready for consumption. They also use the boiler’s temperature to ensure the milk does not contain any harmful bacteria, making it possible to store for a long time. It’s impossible to produce milk that has enough shelf life today without boilers.

And without them, milk and dairy factories will need to transport their produce quickly before they spoil–and could negatively affect milk and dairy businesses. 

6 – Commercial laundry businesses would be suffering

Did you know that laundry businesses use steam boilers as well? Of course, not all laundry businesses use boilers. But many laundry businesses use boilers to heat the water they use in their washing machines. Aside from that, they also use boilers for their dryers, steamers, ironers, storage tanks, and more.

Without a steam boiler, laundry businesses will have to look for heat and water source alternatives that are as efficient and reliable as boilers. As a result, commercial laundry businesses would be suffering without them.

7 – Power plant companies could limit electricity access

Did you know that power plants use steam boilers in power generation? The role of the boiler is to generate steam at high pressure and high temperature to convert steam’s heat energy into mechanical energy. They call this process the Rankine cycle. 

If steam boilers did not exist, power plant companies would need to rely on other methods of electricity production. Limit access to electricity could also happen without steam boilers or if other power generation methods are not reliable as boilers.

A world without steam boilers is a difficult place to live in today’s generation.

These are just some glimpses of how life would be without steam boilers. Now that we live in a fast-pacing world–removing efficient machinery from the picture could drastically change our lives. These possibilities only show us how reliable and vital steam boilers are in our lives, even though we don’t realise it often. 

About the author:

Bianca Banda is a writer for Trilogy Boilers Australia, a veteran specialising in boiler and burner installations, servicing, engineering, and industrial gas plumbing.