Boiler Headers
Custom boiler headers for economizer, superheater, reheater and water wall circuits, plus steam header manifolds for project-specific distribution duties. Fabrication is based on approved drawings, operating conditions, nozzle schedules and the agreed inspection scope.
Fundamentals
What Is a Boiler Header?
A boiler header is a pressure part that collects or distributes water or steam between parallel tube circuits. Header duty, geometry, material, wall thickness, nozzle arrangement and examination requirements depend on its position in the boiler and the applicable project rules.
How Headers Work in a Boiler Circuit
Where Headers Are Used
- Economizer inlet & outlet headers
- Superheater & reheater headers
- Water wall lower & upper headers
- Convection tube bundle headers
- Attemperator (spray water) headers
- HRSG module inlet/outlet headers
Procurement Scope
Boiler Header or Steam Header Manifold?
These terms overlap in search results but they are not automatically interchangeable. A boiler header normally belongs to a boiler pressure-part circuit; a steam header manifold may distribute steam to several downstream users outside the boiler heating-surface circuit. The applicable design rules and supply boundary must therefore be stated in the enquiry.
Boiler Pressure-Part Header
Connects economizer, water wall, superheater, reheater or other boiler tube circuits. Quote review focuses on the boiler drawing, operating conditions, material, tube-stub schedule, construction rules and inspection plan.
Steam Header Manifold
Collects or distributes steam through multiple branches for a defined plant duty. Quote review additionally requires branch flow, connection standard, support loads, drainage arrangement and confirmation of whether the item falls inside or outside the boiler code boundary.
| Input | What to provide | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing and duty | Header drawing, boiler section or manifold service | Defines geometry and product boundary |
| Design conditions | Design pressure and temperature; medium | Supports material and design review |
| Connections | Shell size, wall, tube stubs, branches, flanges and orientations | Controls fit-up and interface dimensions |
| Project rules | Applicable code/specification, ITP and third-party inspection | Defines fabrication and acceptance scope |
| Commercial inputs | Quantity, documentation, packing, destination and required delivery date | Allows a complete scope and schedule |
Product Range
Boiler Header Types
Headers are grouped by boiler circuit and service. The approved drawing and design conditions—not the product name alone—determine material, fabrication, heat treatment, inspection and documentation requirements.
Economizer Headers
Inlet and outlet headers for economizer coil banks. Design conditions, material, shell dimensions, tube-stub pattern, drains, vents and inspection scope are taken from the approved project drawing.
- Highest tube stub density of any header type
- End caps, drain, vent, and inspection nozzles
- Individual headers or matched inlet/outlet pair
Superheater & Reheater Headers
Headers for high-temperature steam circuits. Material grade, allowable stress, welding consumables, preheat, heat treatment and examination are reviewed against the actual design temperature, pressure and project specification.
- Material verification where required by the ITP
- Heat-treatment records for agreed cycles
- Post-treatment testing where specified
Water Wall Headers
Lower and upper headers for membrane water wall panels — large-bore, heavy-wall, with one tube stub per water wall tube. On a large furnace panel this means 100–400 stubs per header. Stub spacing and projection length must match the panel fabrication drawing exactly.
- Stub layout dimensioned from panel drawing
- Pre-assembled with wall panel (optional)
- Downcomers, risers, and tie-in nozzles included
Define the Header Supply Boundary
A quotation should state whether the supply includes only the header body or also end closures, tube stubs, branches, drains, vents, inspection connections, supports, nameplate, testing and documentation.
Headers may also be quoted with matching economizer coils, superheater coils or water wall panels when drawings and interface responsibilities are available for review. The code documentation boundary is confirmed for each contract.
Not sure which type or material grade applies to your project? Send your design pressure, design temperature, and applicable code — we'll advise.
Get Technical AdviceQuality Assurance
Materials & Standards
Material selection requires the approved design temperature and pressure, fluid, corrosion allowance, construction rules and client specification. The examples below are discussion points only and are not universal temperature limits or automatic material recommendations.
Material Grade by Design Temperature
PWHT — When It Is Required
P91
Heat-treatment review: When PWHT is required, furnace capacity, procedure, thermocouple arrangement, recording and documentation are confirmed in the manufacturing and inspection plan.
Certifications & Capability Evidence
Grade A Boiler
ISO 9001
ISO 14001
ISO 45001
EN 1090
EN 3834
ASME S
ASME U
Our Advantage
Why Choose ORL
Headers are the single point of failure for an entire tube bank — one cracked nozzle weld or an out-of-tolerance stub position can ground the whole boiler. The six points below reflect where we have invested to make header failures uncommon rather than inevitable.
Drawing Review Before Fabrication
Before we write a weld procedure or cut material, our engineering team checks your header drawing for wall thickness adequacy, nozzle reinforcement, and PWHT requirement. If we find an issue — under-sized wall, missing reinforcement pad, wrong material grade for the temperature — we raise it in writing. This review is part of the service, not a consulting add-on.
Stub Position & Interface Control
Tube-stub pitch, orientation and projection are checked against the approved drawing. The applicable tolerances and dimensional-report format are agreed for the project.
Heat-Treatment Planning
When heat treatment is required, the furnace arrangement, approved cycle, thermocouple placement, calibration and recording requirements are reviewed before production.
Project-Specific NDE
The weld map and ITP define which joints receive VT, PT, MT, RT, UT or other examination, together with timing, extent and acceptance criteria. Reports are supplied when included in the contractual documentation scope.
Complete Pressure Parts Package
Headers can be quoted with matching economizer coils, superheater coils or water wall panels. Interface control, trial assembly and documentation boundaries are stated in the agreed supply scope.
Outage Schedule Discipline
For outage or commissioning projects, the required site date is reviewed against drawing approval, material procurement, fabrication, inspection, documentation, packing and transport. The contractual milestone schedule is confirmed after scope review.
Send us your header drawing and design conditions.
We'll confirm material grade, PWHT requirement, and delivery schedule in one reply.
Applications
Industries We Serve
Every steam-generating boiler contains headers. The buyer is typically an EPC contractor building a new plant, a boiler OEM supplying a packaged unit, or a plant owner replacing worn headers during a scheduled outage.
Power Plants
Coal-fired, gas-fired, and biomass power station boilers. Superheater and reheater outlet headers in P22 or P91 for high-temperature high-pressure service. Economizer and water wall headers in carbon steel for the lower-temperature circuits.
Sugar Mills & Cogeneration
Bagasse-fired cogeneration boilers for the sugar industry. Headers for economizer and superheater circuits of 20–60 bar boilers. Replacement headers for plant life extension — matched to existing tube coil geometry to avoid panel redesign.
Waste Heat Boilers
HRSG modules for gas turbine combined cycle plants. Evaporator, economizer, and superheater headers for cement kiln, glass furnace, and steel mill waste heat recovery boilers. Clean gas conditions allow compact header design with many nozzle connections.
Biomass & Waste-to-Energy
Wood chip, agricultural residue, and municipal solid waste boilers. Operating pressures and temperatures comparable to conventional industrial boilers. Headers supplied as part of complete pressure parts packages — economizer, water wall, and superheater headers in a single order.
Tell us your boiler type and operating conditions.
We'll confirm header type, material grade, and lead time in one reply.
Manufacturing Process
Factory & Production
Header fabrication involves more sequential steps than most boiler components — incoming inspection, machining, fit-up, welding, PWHT, NDT, and hydrostatic test must all be completed and documented before despatch. Each step is tracked against the production schedule.
Key Production Steps
Header nozzle welding
Hydrostatic testing
Dimensional inspection
Customer Visits & Factory Evidence
Customers inspect the PWHT furnace, review NDT reports, and witness hydrostatic testing during factory visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boiler Header FAQ
Common questions from EPC contractors, boiler OEMs, and plant engineering teams about header specification, PWHT, NDT, and lead time.
What information is needed to get a quotation?
The fastest route is to send your header drawing. If no drawing exists yet, we need the following to prepare a quotation:
- • Header position in boiler (economizer / superheater / water wall / other)
- • Design pressure (bar or psi)
- • Design temperature (°C or °F)
- • Shell OD and required wall thickness (or let us calculate from design conditions)
- • Shell material grade (or advise us of design temperature and we'll confirm grade)
- • Shell length
- • Number of tube stubs, stub OD, stub wall, and stub pitch along the header
- • Main connection nozzle size(s) and schedule
- • Drain, vent, and inspection nozzles
- • Applicable code (ASME Section I / GB/T 16507 / EN 12952 / IBR / other)
- • Quantity (single header, inlet+outlet pair, or full set for a tube bank)
- • Required delivery date and destination port
If you have a similar existing header to replace, a sketch with dimensions and a clear note of the applicable code is sufficient to start. We will generate the full drawing for approval before fabrication.
What is the difference between a header and a steam drum?
The main distinction is function rather than a universal diameter threshold:
- • A header connects parallel circuits and collects or distributes flow according to the boiler arrangement.
- • A steam drum provides steam-water separation, circulation inventory and associated drum functions defined by the boiler design.
The fabrication and examination scope for either component must be taken from its approved design, applicable construction rules and inspection plan; it should not be inferred from diameter alone.
When is PWHT required and what does ORL Power's process involve?
PWHT depends on the material group, joint thickness, welding process, applicable code edition, permitted exemptions and client specification. It cannot be determined safely from a short online material table.
For a quotation, send the material, joint thicknesses, construction rules and ITP. ORL will confirm the proposed procedure, heat-treatment arrangement, recording method and required post-treatment examinations before production.
Can you supply headers together with the tube coils or panels they connect to?
Yes, subject to drawing and scope review. ORL can quote headers with matching economizer coils, superheater or reheater coils, or water wall panels where interface dimensions and responsibilities are clearly defined.
Trial assembly, code stamping and data-report boundaries are project-specific. The quotation identifies what is included and which party owns the final assembly documentation.
What NDT is performed and what documentation is issued?
The NDE method, extent, timing and acceptance criteria are defined by the approved drawing, construction rules and ITP. Depending on the joint and material, the scope may include VT, PT, MT, RT, UT, dimensional checks, hardness testing or other agreed examinations.
Documentation can include material certificates, traceability records, weld map, procedure references, heat-treatment records, NDE reports, dimensional reports, pressure-test records and statutory forms when they are included in the contract. Test pressure must be calculated from the applicable rules and approved test procedure—not stated as a universal multiple of design pressure.
What are typical lead times?
Lead time is confirmed after drawing status, material availability, connection count, heat treatment, inspection hold points, statutory review, documentation, packing and destination are known. Share the required site-delivery or outage date at enquiry stage so the schedule can be built backwards from that milestone.
Have a technical question not covered here?
Ask Our Engineering TeamGet Your Quote
Contact Our Engineering Team
Send the header drawing or design conditions—service, design pressure and temperature, shell size, material, connection schedule and applicable project specification. We will review the scope before confirming pricing and lead time.
Get Your Header Quote
Share your design conditions for a project-specific scope, material and schedule review.
What to Include in Your Inquiry
- • Header position (economizer / superheater / water wall)
- • Design pressure (bar or psi)
- • Design temperature (°C)
- • Shell OD × wall thickness (mm)
- • Shell material grade (or we'll advise)
- • Tube stub: OD × wall, pitch, quantity
- • Main connection nozzle sizes
- • Applicable code (ASME / GB / EN / IBR)
- • Quantity and required delivery date