Firetube or Watertube?

What's the
difference?
Boilers come in many different sizes, shapes and designs. This creates quite a challenge for those
of us that do not purchase boilers on a regular basis. The choice between a firetube design and a
water tube design can become very confusing for novice boiler buyers.

Advantages/Disadvantages

We thought a quick discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of these boiler designs
might prove helpful.

FIRETUBE BOILERS
The Hurst LPE "Performance" boiler is America's most heavily
designed and built boiler in its class. 

A welded steel firetube boiler, the LPE has extra heavy 12

gauge tubes for extended life. All tubes are attached to the tube
sheets by rolling and flaring. There are no welded tubes in the
LPE.

Thickest materials used in the industry...

 Boiler shell is 5/16" thick boiler plate.

 Twin boiler tube sheets are 1/2" thick boiler plate.
 Insulation is 2" mineral wool and is lagged with 22 gauge
boiler jacket.
 Extra heavy 3" channel iron boiler skids.

Designed to last with special industrial grade features...

 Couplings are 3,000 psi.

 Flanged, detachable front and rear smoke boxes.
 

So What is a Firetube Boiler?

The name firetube is very descriptive. The fire, or hot flue gases from the burner, is channeled
through tubes that are surrounded by the fluid to be heated. The body of the boiler is the pressure
vessel and contains the fluid. In most cases this fluid is water that will be circulated for heating
purposes or converted to steam for process use. 

Every set of tubes that the flue gas travels through, before it makes a turn, is considered a "pass".
So a three-pass boiler will have three sets of tubes with the stack outlet located on the rear of the
boiler. A 4-pass will have four sets and the stack outlet at the front.

Firetube Boilers are:

 Relatively inexpensive
 Easy to clean 
 Compact in size
 Available in sizes from 600,000 btu/hr to 50,000,000 btu/hr
 Easy to replace tubes
 Well suited for space heating and industrial process applications

Disadvantages of Firetube Boilers include:

 Not suitable for high pressure applications 250 psig and above
 Limitation for high capacity steam generation

WATERTUBE BOILERS

Unilux Series "Z" Water Boilers:

Provide 85% efficiency to your customers! The unilux

series "Z" boilers are available from 20 BHP to 1500
BHP as cataloged standard with larger sizes available
by request. This unique, modern forced draft design is
the ultimate in water boiler technology. Available as
factory packaged or field erect (FE). 20 year warranty
on vessel as standard.

What is a Watertube?

A Watertube design is the exact opposite of a fire tube. Here the water flows through the tubes
and are incased in a furnace in which the burner fires into. These tubes are connected to a steam
drum and a mud drum. The water is heated and steam is produced in the upper drum. Large
steam users are better suited for the Water tube design. The industrial watertube boiler typically
produces steam or hot water primarily for industrial process applications, and is used less
frequently for heating applications.

Watertube Boilers are:

 Available in sizes that are far greater than the firetube design. Up to several million
pounds per hour of steam.
 Able to handle higher pressures up to 5,000 psig
 Recover faster than their firetube cousin
 Have the ability to reach very high temperatures
Disadvantages of the Watertube design include:

 High initial capital cost

 Cleaning is more difficult due to the design
 No commonality between tubes
 Physical size may be an issue

The best gauge of which design to consider can be found in the duty in which the boiler is to
perform. Fortunately most boiler sales agencies offer a number of boiler designs and can help
you make the correct choice. Ask these professionals what they would recommend and have
them explain why.

Put your Boiler into Storage Boiler Blowdown 

Water hardness in Boilers
Buying a Boiler
Getting your Boiler ready for winter
Watertube vs. Firetube
Boiler Water Quality
Boiler Refractory Care
Combustion Air Fan
Automated Chimney Venting Systems
Addressing Alkalinity
Proper sizing of Boiler Feedwater Systems

Boiler Maintenance Boiler Feed Pumps

Boiler Fireside Care Deaeration of Boiler Feedwater
Boiler Room Support Equipment Proper use and care for boiler gage glass