What is a common method to increase boiler efficiency?

Implementing economizers is a widely recognized method to enhance boiler efficiency. Economizers are heat exchangers that recover waste heat from the flue gases before they are expelled into the atmosphere. By capturing this otherwise lost heat and using it to preheat the feedwater entering the boiler, economizers reduce the amount of energy required to bring that water to the necessary temperature for steam generation. This process not only improves thermal efficiency but also decreases fuel consumption, leading to cost savings and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In contrast, reducing fuel input may lead to insufficient energy production, while increasing emissions could indicate inefficiencies or operational issues that need correction, rather than improvement. Shortening operating hours generally doesn’t enhance efficiency; it merely limits the system's overall output and may not affect operational efficiencies positively. Thus, the implementation of economizers stands out as a constructive approach to improving boiler operational efficiency effectively.