Oxygen is the enemy
Dissolved oxygen in feedwater attacks steel from the inside, pitting tubes and shells one tiny crater at a time. Oxygen pitting is one of the leading killers of boilers — and it works fast. A deaerator's job is to strip that oxygen (and CO2) out of the feedwater before it ever reaches the boiler.
How it works
A deaerator heats feedwater with steam to near saturation temperature, where gases fall out of solution (hot water can't hold much dissolved gas — the same reason a warm soda goes flat). The water is sprayed or cascaded to maximize surface area, the liberated gases vent off the top, and a small chemical scavenger dose polishes off what's left. A properly working deaerator delivers feedwater with oxygen measured in parts per billion.
Who needs one
High-pressure steam plants, facilities with high makeup rates, and any process operation where boiler life matters should have full deaeration. Smaller low-pressure systems often run a feedwater tank with a steam sparge and chemical treatment instead — acceptable when makeup is low and monitoring is real.
If your feedwater tank is cold, your chemical bill is high, or your tubes show pitting at inspection, the deaerator conversation is overdue. Servco supplies and services boiler and feedwater systems, including Cleaver-Brooks packaged deaerators, across the Intermountain West.
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Quick answers
What temperature should a deaerator run at?+
At saturation temperature for its operating pressure — commonly around 227°F at 5 psig. If it's running cold, it isn't deaerating.
Deaerator vs. feedwater tank — what's the difference?+
A feedwater tank stores and preheats water; a true deaerator mechanically strips dissolved gases to parts-per-billion levels. Many facilities call their feedwater tank a DA — the boiler knows the difference.
Why is my oxygen scavenger usage so high?+
Usually a deaerator problem: low temperature, poor venting, or spray/tray damage. Chemicals are being asked to do mechanical equipment's job.