If you have ever waited in anticipation for something, and it cannot happen soon enough, you know the meaning of the expression, “A watched pot never boils.” Unless you are a superhero that can create light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation (laser) through your eyeballs, the pot of water would never boil by staring at it anyway. Boiling is defined as the “rapid vaporization of a liquid,” which can happen at various temperatures for various liquids. When it comes to Plumbing and HVAC design boiling fluid is what keeps our systems rolling, from heat transfer to refrigeration. Sometimes boiling fluids can cause unexpected problems as is the case with pump cavitation.
Most of us should know that water boils at 212° F. At least, we should understand that one way to get water to boil is to add heat. If you have gotten this far in life without boiling water for a hard-boiled egg or some top ramen noodles, you may want to check your privilege meter. When water boils at atmospheric pressure, otherwise known as the pressure humans live comfortably at, it turns to steam. Steam is basically water in gaseous form and acts as a reservoir for thermal energy. We can capture steam under pressure and move it around in pipes. You guessed it, when the steam moves to where we want it, so does the thermal energy associated with it.