Recent economic shifts and international trade tensions have sent waves through the markets. Tariff uncertainty and global supply chain challenges are causing many companies and investors to worry about the future of their operations and product availability. Made in the U.S.A., Preferred Utilities is proud to offer customers confidence and clarity in uncertain times. At Preferred, our products […]
Burner Management Series IV: BMS Troubleshooting and the Advantage of Parallel Annunciation
As safety monitoring is the primary function of a burner management system, there are many ways that a burner trip can occur. While this is the desired response to an unsafe condition, if a burner management system with a series interlock circuit is being used, it can often be difficult to troubleshoot why the lockout is occurring. This […]
Low-NOx Solutions for a Changing Regulatory Landscape
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently proposed stricter limits on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions for combustion turbines at natural gas-fired plants and industrial facilities. Article here. This move, aimed at reducing harmful air pollutants and improving public health, may not ever come to fruition. However, the proposal reminds us to keep in mind the environmental impacts […]
Burner Management Series II: BMS Limits Circuits
Safely sequencing a burner through each state of the burner cycle is the primary function of a burner management system (BMS) or flame safeguard. To do this the BMS utilizes various limits circuits to monitor the status of the burner through each step of the burner sequence. Each of these are “series limits circuits”, meaning that power is […]
Burner Management Series I: Safely Sequencing a Burner
When it comes to burner management systems, safely sequencing a burner through each state of the firing process is the top priority. This can be broken down into 4 basic functions: 1) Pre-ignition checks verifying that the burner and boiler are in a safe condition to start, 2) Continuous monitoring of all safety limits while the burner is […]
A Contractor’s Guide to Hassle-Free Boiler Room Management
As seen in CONTRACTOR Magazine Full system integration offers a comprehensive solution, ensuring not only the reliability and efficiency of boiler operations but also a single source of accountability. Boiler systems are a critical component for the continuous operation of a facility. Not only do contractors need to minimize their downtime, but they must, simultaneously, maintain safe, reliable, and efficient […]
Preferred’s Complete Boiler Control Solution Now Supports Spanish!
For years, Preferred Utilities has been a supplier to countries in Central and Latin America, and now are expanding our efforts and support in that market. With extensive experience in Burner Management Systems, Preferred is committed to supporting Spanish-speaking countries with our BurnerMate Universal (BMU), a comprehensive combustion control system, now includes built-in Spanish support! Product Feature Highlights: […]
System Reliability at a Maryland University
Our Service Crew was recently called to diagnose an issue with an improper drum pressure reading at a Maryland University. What we found highlighted the importance of a small but crucial component in pressure control systems: the siphon pigtail. The Problem Upon inspection, we discovered that the transducer, responsible for providing accurate pressure readings, had been damaged. The […]
Fuel/Air Cross-Limiting
What is the Application? Steam supply and heating loads in a boiler plant vary throughout the course of the boiler firing cycle. In response to this, the boiler firing rate output % is continuously adjusting to maintain steam or temperature setpoint. This means that the boiler controller’s outputs (typically a fuel valve positioner, air damper positioner, and variable […]
Drum Level Control Essentials
What is the Application? As boilers convert water into steam to supply the plant’s load demand, more water must be supplied to the boiler to maintain the drum level at setpoint. In a modulating PID system, Boiler feedwater flow is controlled by the drum level controller by modulating a feedwater control valve which can be opened to give […]