Episode #16 - Boiler Product Safety & Performance – Partnering with Industry to Foster Innovation with Kevin Choi, UL LLC

In this episode, Rob McManamy with HPAC ' On the Air' interviews ABMA's Advisory Committee Chair Eric Graham and event organizer and Marketing Director Shaunica Jayson about ABMA's new show for the boiler supply chain, which is finally at hand. They explain why BOILER 2022 is such a big deal.

Holger Deimann, President & CEO of CERTUSS America joins ABMA for the second episode of Season 2 of Inside the Boiler Room. In this episode, Holger shares an overview of the modular boiler concept for steam generators from manufacturing to installation and operation. He also highlights the importance of maintenance and water treatment which is critical no matter what boiler is in operation. To learn more about the CERTUSS America, visit their website at www.certuss-america.com. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com. To learn more about BOILER 2022, visit www.BOILER2022.com.

Welcome to Season 2 of Inside the Boiler Room.  Our first episode of this season features Joel Amato from the National Board of Boiler & Pressure Vessel Inspectors to discuss the National Board’s role of overseeing adherence to laws, rules, and regulations relating to boilers and pressure vessels. In this episode, Joel shares his background and the history of the National Board along with the importance of the state inspector and NBIC code along with the significance of the NB stamp and their new initiatives. To learn more about the National Board, visit their website at www.nationalboard.org and follow them on Twitter @NBBIdotorg. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

This episode of Inside the Boiler Room features Larry Day, President & CEO of Nationwide Boiler sharing his insights on the world of rental boilers that has significant relevance during the COVID-19 crisis with boilers near capacity at many hospitals and food processing facilities. After listening to this podcast, you will understand what an important role the boiler rental sector plays for many end-users of our products. If you are not familiar with rental boilers and use boilers for any reason, the knowledge from this podcast may come in handy in the future. Nationwide is a member of the ABMA’s Rental Group. Below is a link to each of our rental companies. Cleaver-Brooks Sales & Service Nationwide Boiler Power Mechanical Powerhouse Equipment Wabash Power WARE We discussed the basics of rental boilers and why an end-user would need a rental boiler. These boilers can also be categorized as mobile boiler units or boiler trailers and we may be using them interchangeably during the episode. You might think that rental boilers are only for emergencies but Larry stated the rental business has evolved and only about 15% of their business is emergencies, many are planned outages or seasonal needs for additional steam and hot water. Beyond the basics, we discussed how end-users can prepare for outreach to rental companies to expedite the process and the importance of preparing the site for the rental delivery. We wrapped up our conversation discussing potential challenges with different technology and maintenance of the rental boiler system. During the episode, Larry mentions ABMA’s Guidelines to Rental Boilers which is a great resource for end-users. To learn more about Nationwide Boiler, please visit their website at the link above or find them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, @SteamNow. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

This is a special episode of Inside the Boiler Room featuring Doug Wright, President & CEO of Superior Boiler and Vice-Chair of ABMA. Please note, this episode was recorded on Thursday, April 2, 2020. Doug joined ABMA President & CEO Scott Lynch for a discussion on how Superior Boiler and the boiler industry are adapting to the ever-evolving situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The conversation began by going back to early March when it seemed like business as usual. This quickly changed around March 12th and within days, daily interactions were significantly impacted. Doug shared how Superior Boiler reacted to the initial information on the virus and how they began to take action within the company to ensure the health and safety of their employees. The discussion transitioned to the critical role of the boiler industry in supporting the global infrastructure and their focus on continuing to manufacture while taking all the proper precautions. The episode concluded with a conversation about the resources ABMA has provided and how Superior Boiler is using the information to address the challenges set forth by these unique times. To learn more about Superior Boiler, please visit their website at www.superiorboiler.com. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels using #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

Kevin Choi from UL LLC joins us for Episode #16 of Inside the Boiler Room.  This episode is sponsored by Webster Combustion Technology. Webster is a long-standing member of ABMA and a leader in burner technology for the boiler industry. For more details on Webster, please visit their web site at www.webster-engineering.com. The podcast begins with an overview of what makes UL unique and an effective third-party and then a discussion of how UL partners with manufacturers throughout the listing process and what UL listed products should mean to the boiler end-user. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the importance of proper maintenance and staying current with today’s standards and technology. To learn more about UL, visit www.ul.com. On their homepage, you can search for boilers and their Product IQ feature shared in the podcast.  For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

Author and Industry Columnist Ray Wohlfarth joins ABMA for Episode #15 of Inside the Boiler Room to discuss the benefits of boilers in the commercial sector. Ray is also president of Fire & Ice Heating & Cooling in Pittsburgh, PA. ABMA would to thank long-time ABMA Member Preferred Utilities for sponsoring this podcast episode. To learn more about Preferred, visit them at Preferred-MFG.com.  This episode begins with Ray sharing an overview of his boiler career and his passion for working with boiler operators then jumps into dispelling boiler myths as it relates to the commercial sector and compares commercial boilers with VRF systems in the areas of safety, reliability, efficiency and maintenance. Throughout the conversation, you will enjoy Ray’s passion for job in boiler industry and realize that he has seen and solved countless problems in a boiler room. To learn more about Ray Wohlfarth, visit www.boilerlessons.com follow him on Twitter @FireIceHeat. For Fire & Ice, visit their website at www.fireiceheat.com. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

Jim Kolbus from Clark-Reliance joins ABMA for Episode #14 of Inside the Boiler Room.  This is Jim’s second time on Inside the Boiler Room. He was also featured in Episode #3 focusing on boiler installation. In this episode, Jim brings his expertise to the topic of boiler drum level instrumentation.  Jim regularly presents on this topic and is the lead author of their guidebook on Drum Level Instrumentation Guideline that is updated regularly based on changes in the ASME code.  This episode discusses the importance of drum level instrumentation and the various types of direct reading glass gages and indirect remote level indicators. In addition, we delve into the importance of proper installation and outside influences that can effect operations including proper piping and value selection concluding with a discussion of ASME codes as it relates to drum level instrumentation along with common code violations Clark-Reliance sees in the field and the corrective measures to address them. To learn more about Clark-Reliance, visit their website at www.clarkreliance.com,  follow them on Twitter @ClarkReliance and check out their YouTube page – search Clark Reliance. For a copy of Boiler Inspection Guidelines for Drum Level Instrumentation, visit www.relianceboilertrim.com/boiler-inspection-guide. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

Tom Wenning from Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) joins ABMA for Episode #13 of the Inside the Boiler Room.  ORNL is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security. This episode shares insights on the impactful research taking place at ORNL and the resources for boiler manufacturers and end-users of our products including the Better Buildings, Better Plants program, Federal Energy Management Program and new online tools available to assess your current energy management along with the value and impact of future investment. To learn more about Oak Ridge and the other National Laboratories, visit and follow them on Twitter @ORNL. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.

Bob Rizza from Power Flame and Eric Graham from Webster Combustion join ABMA for Episode #12 of Inside the Boiler Room to share insights on burners for firetube boilers. This episode features discussions on recent burner technology advances, purchasing a new burner, proper burner installation and ways to ensure efficiency during operation. To learn more about Power Flame, visit their website at www.powerflame.com and follow them on Twitter @Power_Flame_Inc. For Webster Combustion, visit their website at www.webster-engineering.com and follow them on Twitter @WbstrEngneering. For more information, on ABMA, check out our social media channels with #ABMABoiler or visit our website at www.abma.com.