Steam Boilers Vs Hydronic Boilers

A boiler may be defined just as a pressurized vessel in which heating of water takes place. It can be used for production of either hot water or steam. The operating principle of hot water boilers i.e. hydronic boilers and steam boilers is more or less same. However, there are few significant points of distinction lying in their equipment and processes which are mentioned in the section below.

In general, both hydronic boilers and steam boilers results in heating of water and generation of steam by burning of fuel. The heated water is then passed via boiler tubes while the steam generated is circulated in the building with the help of radiators. Though everything works in a similar fashion yet sometimes, the steam produced in steam boilers gets collected in a separate container. The burning fuel employed in a hydronic boiler is typically the same as used in steam boilers. However, owing to cost-effectiveness, use of natural gas is sometimes preferred in hot water boilers.

Steam boilers and hydronic boilers tend to find some differences in their application areas too. Since steam boilers are more robust, they are frequently put into use for industrial applications where hot water or steam is required whereas the use of hot water boilers is generally limited to domestic heating applications.