Boiler Maintenance | HVAC Heating - Almost as if by rote many maintenance departments begin their annual maintenance in late summer to get ready for the cooler weather. Does your department understand how important the code is or do they take all this for granted?

Do they understand that if an accident were to occur all these maintenance procedures will be placed under a microscope especially if someone is injured or worse, killed? Along with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and local code enforcement not to mention private firms hired to investigate an accident and that someone or something will be held responsible for the accident.

Boiler Maintenance

You don’t want this person or thing held responsible to be you, or your department, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules, codes, and regulations pertaining to boiler maintenance. Maintenance is a serious business and a wise organization will take the steps necessary to train and familiarize their personnel with the rules, codes, procedures, and documentation necessary to ensure that maintenance was completed by the book whether it was written by ASME or a local code agency.

After all, the code was written for a reason. That reason you may not understand but someone somewhere learned a valuable lesson and they contributed that lesson to the codebook to prevent future accidents from occurring. Know the code and actively comply with boiler maintenance and you will sleep a lot better. Outside of code, it’s just good sense to perform maintenance on your boiler system. It can avoid potential problems with expansion tanks and boiler pressure problems along with a host of other problems.

Boiler Code - Boiler Maintenance

ASME or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code) along with many different regional municipal codes require regular boiler maintenance to ensure the safe operation of the boiler system. Among these codes are a maintenance check and test of the Low-Water Fuel Cutoff and the Water Feeder to the boiler system.

ASME stipulates that these boiler control components should be disassembled (again by qualified personnel) and checked for obstructions, the accumulation of scaling and mud, and damage. The float should be checked for damage including collapse and a mercury bulb (if used) should be checked for integrity).

If parts are not functioning properly ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code states that repairs should not be made in the field but new parts ordered from the manufacturer. Many manufacturers will void warranties if new replacement parts are not used including the manufacturer’s gaskets. The wiring should be checked for frays and good contact with switch mechanism terminals.

After the controls are reassembled then the appropriate tests by qualified personnel should be conducted to ensure the safe operation of the boiler equipment. This is the code in many different jurisdictions and municipalities for maintenance.

Low Water Fuel Cutoff

All HVAC professionals who are qualified with boilers know the importance of a properly functioning low-water cutoff. If this were to fail the boiler would dry fire and a major catastrophe could occur. The low-water cutoff should be looked at in the maintenance procedure by someone qualified who fully understands how the low-water cutoff functions and how the low-water cutoff could possibly malfunction. Other than having someone watch the boiler 24/7 the low-water cutoff will save you from having a dry fire boiler.

The boiler water feeder needs to be checked also in the boiler maintenance routine. In addition to being checked for blockage from mud and scaling it should also be checked to ensure it completely cuts off the water flow when the proper water level has been achieved. In steam systems, this will cause the mains to flood and poor operation and efficiency. Ensure your maintenance personnel is qualified before allowing them to check these components on the boiler.

Boiler Maintenance Highlights

Other areas to look at for seasonal maintenance are:

• Expansion tanks for proper functioning and pressures
• Blowdown valves and the manufacturer’s recommendation for blowing the system down
• Water quality and cleanliness
• Leaks in the piping and piping insulation
• Relief valves
• PRV or Pressure Reducing Valves for calibration of proper pressure
• Backflow devices (usually a code requirement) tested by a qualified or licensed backflow tester
• All controls and gages within the system. Are the gages accurate and do the controls function when needed?
• Combustion analysis of the combustion process whether the system is gas, oil, or both.
• Zone valves and actuators tested for proper function and when closed they do not allow water to pass. This includes three-way valves and modulating valves for proper functioning and control.
• Circulator pumps should be checked for proper lubrication along with the proper alignment of the coupling device. The coupling device should be checked for wear and tear.
• Finally, all wiring should be checked for proper attachment, fraying, and corrosion. It’s a good time to test the phase monitor also to ensure it works as designed and installed.

Good maintenance by qualified boiler maintenance personnel will lead to fewer breakdowns which means more reliability and happier customers. It will also help efficiency because of better fuel economy. Take maintenance seriously and you will enjoy the benefits of a safe and reliable heating season.

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Boiler Maintenance | HVAC Heating

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