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TypicalBoilerQuestions

WhatisScaleFormation?
HowdoIstopScaleFormationfromhappening?
Whatiscorrosion?
HowdoIstopCorrosion?
WhyalltheconcernaboutCondensateTreatmentandMonitoring?
HowdoIpreventtheMostCommonBoilerProblems?
AMoreIndepthLook
WhatisthemeaningofHorsepower?

WhatisScaleFormation?

Scaleformationsinboilersareresponsibleforlostefficiency,increasedmaintenanceandoperatingcostsnotto
mentionlostrevenueduetooutagesanddowntime.Mostscaleformationsinboilerscanbetracedtothepresence
ofhardnessinthemakeupwater.Thishardnessreactsinthehightemperaturesenvironmentwithintheboilerto
formandinsolublescale.Thisinsolublescalecoatstheheattransfersurfaces,actingasaninsulatortoimpede
heattransfer.
Hardnessisn'ttheonlycauseifscaleformationinboilers,otherimpuritiessuchasiron,silica,copper,oil,etc.are
oftenfoundinsamplesofboilerscale.Infact,itisraretofindscalewhichisn'ttheresultofseveralofthese
impurities.
Normallypresofteningthewaterbeforefeedingittotheboileristhefirststepineliminatingscaleformations.Even
whenthemakeupissoft,thereisstillaneedforchemicalscaleinhibitorsinsidetheboiler.Withpropertreatment
theproblemsoflostefficiency,tubedamageandlostproductioncanbeavoidedorgreatlyreduced.Proper
treatmentrequirestherightbalanceofchemicaltreatmentandcontrol.

HowdoIstopScaleFormationfromhappening?

Thefirstandforemostaspectofstoppingscaleformationistohaveagoodideaofthemakeupwaterthatis
feedingyoursystem.Ifyouaren'tsure,haveacertifiedlaboratorycompleteafullyanalysisonthiswatersoyou
canmakeaninformeddecisiononwhatexactlythepotentialproblemsyoumayencounter.
Afterdeterminingthesespecificaspectsofyourmakeupwaterthenyourwatertreatmentexpertcanguideyou
throughaprogramthatfitsyoursituation.
Justafewitemsthatmaybeofconcernwhenputtingtogetheragoodwatertreatmentprogramforyourboiler.A
completeprogramwillincludesludgebuildup,pHlevels,oxygenremoval,condensatetreatment,andalkalinity
levels.
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Whatiscorrosion?

Corrosioninboilerscanalmostalwaysbetracedtooneorbothoftwoproblems.Themostcommoncauseis
dissolvedoxygenenteringthesystemviathefeedwater.Theoxygencausesverylocalizedcorrosiontooccurin
theformofpitting.Thepitsaresmallbutdeeppinpointholeswhicheventuallycanpenetratetubewallsandcause
theirfailure.AnothercommoncauseofcorrosioninboilersystemsislowpHwithintheboiler.ThisreducedpH
mayresultfromcarbondioxideinfiltrationorformcontaminationbyotherchemicals.
Oxygencorrosionisnormallycontrolledbydrivingtheoxygenfromthefeedwaterinadeaeratingheaterorby
chemicallyremovingitwithanoxygenscavengersuchassodiumsulfite.
TherearemanycontaminateswhichcaninfiltrateaboilersystemandcauselowpHlevelstodevelop.
Manufacturingwastessuchassugaroracidsfromplatingoperationswhichcanbereturnedtotheboilerwith
condensatecanbeasourceofproblemsbecausetheyconcentrateintheboiler.Oxygencaninfiltratetheboiler
systematvirtuallyanypoint.Whendissolved,oxygenispresentinboilerfeedwaterattachonfeedlines,pumps
andeconomizerscanbeexpected.Theseverityoftheattachdependsupontheconcentrationoftheoxygenand
thetemperatureofthewater.

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HowdoIstopCorrosion?

Youcanuseadeaeratorwhichisdefinedasapieceofequipmentwhichheatswaterwithsteamtoinsure
essentiallycompleteremovalofdissolvedgases.Thereareseveraltypesofdeaeratoravailable,eachhavingits
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ownadvantagesanddisadvantages.
Internaltreatmentfordissolvedoxygencorrosionisnormallyaccomplishedbytheadditionofsodiumsulfite.Most
oxygenscavengerscontainacatalystwhichspeedsthereactionofthesulfitewiththeoxygen.Insystems
equippedwithadeaeratorthesulfiteshouldbefedtothestoragetankofthedeaeratorortoeitherthesuctionor
pressuresideofthefeedwaterpump.Insystemswhichdonothaveadeaerator,thesulfitecanbefedatalmost
anypointinthefeedwatersystem,includingthecondensatetank.
Internaltreatmentforcarbondioxideisnormallyaccomplishedbytheuseofavolatileamine."Amine"refersto
anyofanumberofchemicalsderivedfromammonia.Therearetwomajorgroupsofaminesinpracticeaswater
treatmentchemicalstoday.Therearenormallyreferredtoas"neutralizingamines"or"filmingamines"depending
uponwhethertheyneutralizetheacidformedbycarbondioxideorformaprotectivefilmonthemetal.
Filmingaminesdonotneutralizethecarbonicacidwhichformsincondensatesystems.Instead,theyformafilm
onthemetalwhichisnonwettable,orimpervioustowater.thisprotectivefilmpreventsthecorrosiveimpurities
fromcontactingthemetal.
NeutralizingaminesfunctionbyincreasingthepHofthecondensate.Normallytheyarefedatsucharatethatthe
pHofthecondensateismaintainedslightlyabove7.0.Satisfactoryreductionofcarbondioxidecorrosionis
possiblewiththeuseofaneutralizingamine.itisnecessarytosupplementthistypeofcondensateprotectionwith
anoxygenscavengertoremovedissolvedoxygen.
Whethercondensatecorrosioniscontrolledbychemicaltreatmentoracombinationofmechanicalandchemical
methods,itisimportantthatcarefulchecksandtestingbeincorporatedasapartofthetreatmentprogram.No
treatmentcanbebetterthanthewayinwhichitisapplied.Consultawatertreatmentexperttogetyoustartedon
therightfoot.
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WhyalltheconcernaboutCondensateTreatmentandMonitoring?
YouCondensateisveryimportanttoyourfacilitiesoveralloperation,ignoringthisunseencomponentwillsoon
causefailurescostingbottomlinedollars.Therefore,condensatemustbetreatedwiththeproperchemistry.
Treatingyourplantssteamcondensateiscriticalforseveralreason,butthesearethemostimportanttwo
reasons:
1.Toinsuretheintegrityofyourequipment.
2.Tokeeptheamountofcondensatecorrosionmineralsthatarereturnedtotheboiler's
makeupwaterincheck.
Corrosioninyoursteamlinesoccurswhenthecarbonicacidbuildsupandbeginstobreakdownthemetallic
surfacesthroughoutthesystem.WhentheCarbonicacidisallowedtobuild,localizedattacksoccurduetothe
simpleincreaseinCO2,whichisthebreakdownproductofcarbonatealkalinityintheboiler,condensingwith
watertoformH2CO3.Thisresultsinthe"pitting"ofcondensatepiping,whichusuallyshowsupbyvisualleaksat
threadedjunctions.Oxygenpittingoccursassteamcondensesandthevacuumcreatedpullsairintothesystem.
Duetothelocalizednatureofoxygenpitting,itcancauserelativelyquickfailureinacondensatesystem.
Themostcommonmethodofdealingwiththisproblemisthroughtheuseofneutralizingamines.These
chemicals,betterknownasmorpholineandcyclohexylamine,neutralizethecarbonacid,andincreasethepHof
thecondensate.CorrosionofmixedmetallurgycondensatesystemsisminimizedwhenthepHismaintained
between8.8and9.0.DuetohighalkalinityinboilermakeupwaterelevatingthepHtothislevelmaynotbe
economical.InthiscasethepHshouldbemaintainedat8.3orhigher,orafilmingamineapplied.
Afilmingamine,suchasoctyldecylamine,providesanonwettableprotectivebarrieragainstbothcarbonicacid
andoxygen.Whenutilizingafilmingamine,thepHisusuallymaintainedbetween6.5and7.5,soaneutralizing
aminemaystillberequired.
Inordertominimizeoxygenpittingonecanutilizeafilmingamineaspreviouslymentioned,oravolatileoxygen
scavengersuchasDEHA(diethylhydroxyamine.)DEHAprovidesbetterresultsasitscavengesoxygenand
passivatesorcoatsthecondensatesystem,makingitlesssusceptibletocorrosion.

Dependingonthetreatmentmethodchosen,condensatemonitoringcanvary.Inallcasesthefollowingtests
shouldbeperformed.
1.Solubleandinsolubleironlevels.
2.pHlevelsatvariouspointsinyoursteamcondensatesystem.ItisextremelyimportantthatpH
measurementsbemadeoncooledsamples.Ifthesampleistakenhot,carbondioxidewillgasoff,whichresultsin
artificiallyhighpHmeasurements.
Ifafilmingamineisutilized,theresidualshouldbemeasured.ThesameistrueifDEHAisusedas
anoxygenscavenger.Inthelattercase,aresidualof100to150ppbisusuallytargeted.Notethat
thismaytaketime(asmuchas6months)sincemuchoftheDEHAwillbeconsumedpassivating
thesystem.
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HowdoItoPreventtheMostCommonBoilerProblems?
Aregularinspectionscheduleiscriticalandshouldcoverfourareas:boiler,burner,controls,and
system.
Preventivemaintenanceisthemostwidelyusedmeansofminimizingcommonproblemsinboilers.
Unfortunately,mostmaintenanceprogramsdonotproperlyaddresstheneedsoftheboilerandits
relatedsystems.Statisticsindicateabouttwothirdsofallboilerfailuresandnearlyallunscheduled
shutdownsarecausedbypoormaintenanceandoperation.
Boilerinspectionandmaintenancearecritical.Itcoversfourbasicareas:boiler,burner,controls,andsystem.
Regardlessofboilerdesign,application,orsize,thebasicmaintenancecriteriaremainthesame.
MaintainingtheBoiler
Thereareeightprimaryareasoftheboileritselfthatshouldheexaminedorinspectedregularly.
Waterlevel.Themostimportantmaintenanceinspectionistochecktheboilerwaterleveldaily.
Insufficientwatercausespressurevesseldamageorfailure.Ataminimum,steelinthepressure
vesselcouldoverheat.Theconditioncouldchangethepressurewithholdingcapabilitiesofthe
vessel,necessitatingvesselrepairorreplacement.Moreseriously,alowwaterlevelcoulddamage
theequipmentorbuilding.orevencausepersonalinjury.
Boilerblowdown.Steamboilersshouldbeblowndowndailytomaintainrecommendeddissolved
solidslevelsandtoremovesludgeandsediment.Hotwaterboilersgenerallytakeonnomakeup
waterand,thereforedonotneedtobeblowndown.
Astheboilertakesonmakeupwaterthesolidsconcentrationbuildsup.Solidsaccumulateineither
dissolvedorsuspendedform.Unlesstheyarecontrolleddissolvedsolidspromotecarryoverof
waterwiththesteamcausingwaterhammeranddamagingpiping,valves,orotherequipment.
Carryoveralsoraisesthemoisturecontentinthesteam,affectingproperoperationofequipmentthat
usessteam.
Suspendedsolids,whichcausesludgeorsedimentintheboiler,mustberemovedbecausethey
affecttheheattransfercapabilitiesofthepressurevessel.Sludgebuildupleadstoproblemsranging
frompoorfueltosteamefficiencytopressurevesseldamage.
Watercolumnblowdown.Watercolumnsonsteamboilersshouldbeblowndownonceeachshift
orataminimumonceaday.Thisactionkeepsthecolumnandpipingconnectionscleanandfreeof
sedimentorsludge.Thewatercolumnalsomusthekeptcleantoensurethewaterlevelinthegauge
glassaccuratelyrepresentsthewaterlevelintheboiler.Thegaugeglassandtricocksconnectedto
thewatercolumnaretheonlymeansofvisuallyverifyingboilerwaterlevel.
Thelowwatercutoffshouldbecheckedonceaweekbyshuttingoffthefeedwaterpumpand
lettingthewaterevaporateundernormalsteamconditionsatlowfire.Thegaugeglassshouldhe
observedandmarkedattheexactpointatwhichthelowwatercutoffshutsdowntheboiler.The
testverifiesoperationofthelowwatercutoffunderoperatingconditions.Thelowwatercutoffalso
shouldtheremovedandcleanedeverysixmonths.
Watertreatment.Properwatertreatmentprolongsboilerlifeandensuresafeandreliableoperation.
Treatmentprogramsaredesignedaroundthequalityandquantityofrawwatermakeupandsystem
design.Theyshouldbedirectedbyaqualifiedwatermanagementconsultant.Fluegastemperature.
Fluegastemperatureisagoodindicatorofboilerefficiencychanges.Thetemperatureshouldbe
recordedregularlyandcomparedtothoseofacleanboilerunderthesameoperatingconditions.
Accuratelydeterminingtheaffectonefficiencyrequiresthatthefiringrateandoperatingpressurebe
thesame.
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Ariseinfluegastemperatureusuallyindicatesdirtonthefiresideoftheboilerorscaleonthe
waterside.Asaruleofthumba40degFriseintemperaturereducesboilerefficiency1%Thecost
offiresidecleaningshouldbecomparedtothoseofloweroperatingefficienciestodeterminethe
minimumtemperatureriseatwhichthefiresideshouldbecleaned.Otherfactorsalsoaffectfluegas
temperature.Forexample,ariseinstacktemperaturemayindicateabaffleorsealinoneofthe
boiler'spasseshasfailed.
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Watersideandfiresidesurfaces.Watersideandfiresidesurfacesshouldbeinspectedandcleaned
annually.Avisualinspectionprovidesanearlywarningthatthevesselneedsrepairorwater
treatmentorthatcombustionneedsadjustment.Inspectingandcleaningwatercolumnconnections
shouldreceivespecialattention.Sootinthebreechingisafirehazardandcancausesevere
combustionrelatedproblems.
Safetyvalves.SafetyvalvesarethemostimportantsafetydevicesontheboilerTheyarethelastline
ofdefenseforprotectingthepressurevesselfromoverpressure.Onceayear.operatingpressure
shouldbetestedbybringingthereliefvalvetoitssetting.Valvesshouldpopandreseataccordingto
thevalvestamping.
Refractory.Refractoryprotectssteelnotindirectcontactwiththewaterfromoverheating.Italso
helpsmaintainproperburnerflamepatternsandperformance.Iftheboilerremainsonallthetime,
refractoryshouldbeinspectedtwiceayear.Iftheboilercyclesmorefrequentlyoristurnedonand
offdaily,refractoryshouldbeinspectedmoreoften.
Heatingandcoolingrefractoryalotshortensitslifeconsiderably.Itcracksandeventuallyfails.Hot
spotsonthesteelthattherefractoryprotectsindicaterefractoryorgasketfailure.Ifahotspotis
found,thecauseshouldbedeterminedandrepairedimmediatelytopreventthesteelfromfailing.
MaintainingtheBurner
Althoughburnersvarybydesign,application,fuel,regulations,andinsurancerequirements,thesame
basicmaintenancecriteriamustbeaddressed.Burnermaintenancegenerallyfocusesonsafety.
efficiency,andreliability.Adjustmentsshouldbemadeonlybyatrainedservicetechnicianusingthe
properinstrumentationandtools.
Combustion.Poorcombustionisunsafeandcostly.Changesincombustionairtemperatureand
barometricpressure,forexample,impactburnerperformance(seetable).Lowexcessairlevels
resultinincompletecombustion,sooting,andwastedfuel.Highexcessairlevelsraisestack
temperaturesandreduceboilerefficiency.Maintainingsteadyexcessairlevelswithanoxygentrim
systemhelpsensureoptimumefficiencyatalltimes.
Visuallyinspectingcombustionistheeasiestwaytodetectchangesthataffectsafetyandefficiency.
Changesinflameshape,color,andsoundareamongearlyindicatorsofpotential
combustionrelatedproblems.Changesmaybedueto:
Largefluctuationsinambienttemperatures
Changesinfueltemperature,pressure,heatingvalue,orviscosity
Linkagemovementdirtyorwornnozzle
Dirtyordistorteddiffuserdirtyfan
Dirtontheboilerfireside
Furnacerefractorydamage.
Visualcombustioninspectionshouldbecomparedtoflamecharacteristicsobservedatsimilarfiring
rateswithefficientcombustion.However,combustionefficiencyisverifiableonlywithafluegas
analyzer.Evenifaflameappearstobegood,itshouldbecheckedwithananalyzerandadjusted
onceamonth.
Fuelandairlinkage.Changesinfuelandairlinkageaffectthecombustionfueltoairratio.Flame
failureorahazardousfuelrichconditionmayresult.Properlinkagesettingsshouldbephysically
markedorpinnedtogether.Linkageshouldbecheckedforpositioning,tightness,andbinding.Any
noticeablechangesshouldberemediedimmediately.

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Oilpressureandtemperature.Pressureandtemperaturedirectlyaffecttheabilityofoiltoproperly
atomizeandburncompletelyandefficiently.Changespromoteflamefailure,fuelrichcombustion,
sooting,oilbuildupinthefurnace,andvisiblestackemissions.Causesincludeadirtystrainer,worn
pump,faultyreliefvalve,ormovementinlinkageorpressureregulatingvalvesetpoint.Oil
temperaturechangestypicallyarecausedbyadirtyheatexchangeroramisadjustedordefective
temperaturecontrol.
Gaspressure.Gaspressureiscriticaltoproperburneroperationandefficientcombustion.Irregular
pressureleadstoflamefailureorhighamountsofcarbonmonoxide.Itmayevencauseoveror
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underfiring,affectingtheboiler'sabilitytocarrytheload.Gaspressureshouldbeconstantatsteady
loads,andshouldnotoscillateduringfiringratechanges.
Usually,pressurevariesbetweenlowandhighfire.Therefore,readingsshouldbecomparedto
thosetakenatequivalentfiringratestodetermineifadjustmentsareneededoraproblemexists.
Gaspressureirregularitiesaretypicallycausedbyfluctuationsinsupplypressuretotheboiler
regulatororadirtyordefectiveboilergaspressureregulator.
Atomizingmediapressure.Whenoilisburned,anatomizingmedium,eitherairorsteam,isneeded
forproper,efficientcombustion.Changesinatomizingmediapressurecausesooting,oilbuildupin
thefurnace,orflamefailure.Changesresultfromaregulatororaircompressorproblemoradirty
oilnozzle.
Fuelvalveclosing.Ifafuelvalveleaks,afterburnmayoccurwhentheburneristurnedoff,orraw
fuelcouldleakintoahotboilerandcauseanexplosion.Whentheburneristurnedoff,theflame
shouldextinguishimmediately.Prolongedburningisahazardanddemandsimmediateaction.
MaintainingtheControls
Controlsareoftenusedtoprotecttheboileragainstunsafeoperation.Flamesafeguard,operating,
limit,andsafetyinterlockcontrolsareamongthemostcommon.Ofcourse,controlsonlyprotect
theboileriftheyaremaintainedandadjustedproperly.
Flamesafeguardcontrol.Alsocalledtheprimarycontrolortheprogrammer,theflamesafeguard
controlensuressafelightoff,operation,andshutdownoftheburner.Thecontrolregulatespurging
theboilerofallgasespriortotrialforignition.Italsoverifiesthatthereisnoflameintheboilerprior
tolightoff,andchecksforapilotbeforeallowingthemainflametolight.Thecontrolprovidesproof
thatthemainflamehasignitedbeforereleasingtheboilertotherun(modulation)mode.Most
importantlyitdoesnotallowanyactiontooccurifoperatingcontrols,limits,orsafetyinterlocksare
open.
Inaddition,thiscontrolinitiatesapostpurgeuponshutdowntoremoveallgasesfromtheboiler.
Anditoftenprovidesameansfordetectingaproblemelsewhereinthesystem.Althoughtheflame
safeguardisdesignedforfailsafeoperationandisquitereliable,afaultydevicecanbecatastrophic
andshouldnotbeignored.
Operatingandlimitcontrols.Thesecontrolstelltheboileratwhattemperatureandpressureto
operate.Propersettingsminimizeboilercycling,maintainproperlimitsforefficientsystemoperation,
andensuretheboilershutsdownwhenpredeterminedlimitsarereached.
Improperlysetoperatingcontrolscausetheburnertooperateerraticallyandstressthepressure
vessel.Allthesecontrolsshouldbecheckedweekly.Thescaleofthecontrolfortemperatureor
pressuresettingsshouldnotbereliedupon.Settingsshouldbeverifiedwiththeactualoperating
temperaturesandpressuresontheboilergauges.
Safetyandinterlockcontrols.Safetyandinterlockcontrolsvarywithstate,local,andfederalcodes
andinsurancerequirements.Theymustbeoperationalatalltimes.Amongtheconsequencesof
inoperablesafetyinterlocksarepersonalinjury,equipmentorpropertydamage,andliabilityfor
lossesordamages.Allinterlocksshouldbecheckedweeklyforproperoperation.Adefective
controlshouldbereplacedimmediately.Acontrolshouldneverbebypassedtomakeaboilerrun.
Indicatinglightsandalarms.Indicatinglightsandalarmsarepartofthecontrolcircuit.Theyalertthe
operatortospecificboilerconditions.Unfortunately,theyareoftenneglectedanddonotprovide
theintendedinformation.Manycontrolcircuitshavetestbuttonstoverifyproperoperation.Circuits
thatdonotshouldbecheckedbysimulatingconditionsthatactivatealightoralarm.
MaintainingtheSystem
Alltoooften,whenaboilerproblemoccurs,thesystemisoverlooked.Theemphasisfallsonthe
equipmentandnottheequipment'sfunctionintheoverallsystem.Aneffectivemaintenanceprogram
mustbebasedonanunderstandingoftheentiresystemandthefunctionofeachpieceofequipment.
Onlyanunderstandingofthesystemprovidesthemeansforpreventingthecausesofsystemrelated
problemsandreducingthetimespentonthesymptoms.

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Operatingconditions.Operatingparametersoftheboilerroomsystemshouldberecordeddaily.
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Thedataprovideameansforevaluatingboileroperationtrendsthataffectefficiency,downtime,and
maintenanceplanning.Thefollowingdatashouldberecorded.
Feedwaterpressure/temperature.Changesinfeedwaterpressureaffectthesystem'sabilityto
maintainproperboilerwaterlevels.Apressuredropmaybecausedbyaleakycheckvalveona
standbypumporawornpumpimpeller.Changesinfeedwatertemperatureareindicativeofa
probleminthedeaerator,potentialpumpsealdamage,lossinefficiency,dirtyeconomizer,dirty
blowdownheatrecoveryexchanger,orexcessiveorinsufficientcondensatereturns.
Boilerwatersupply/returntemperatures.Onhotwatersystems,supplyandreturntemperaturesto
theboilerareameansforevaluatingthesystem'seffectontheboilerandviceversa.Thedesired
operatingtemperaturesetpointandtemperaturedifferentialacrosstheboilershouldbeevaluated
againstthesystemdesigntodetermineifapotentialproblemexists.Hightemperaturedifferentials
causedbyexcessiveloadoracontrolmalfunctioncouldcausethermalshockandsubsequently
pressurevesseldamage.
Makeupwateruse.Recordsoftheamountofmakeupwaterusedhelpdeterminethepresenceof
leaksorlossesinthesystem.Theyalsoassistindevelopingamoreeffectivechemicaltreatment
program.Excessivewateruseindicatesachangeinsystemoperationand,therefore,achangein
efficiency.
Steampressure.Steampressureoperatingsetpointsusuallyarebasedonsystemdesignandtypeof
steamuse.Pressurechangesaretypicallycausedbyproblemswithcontrolsettings,burner
operation,boilerefficiency,or,mostcommonly,changesinsteamdemand.
Leaks,noise,vibration,andunusualconditions.Checkingforleaks,noise,vibration,andthelikeisa
costeffectivewaytodetectsystemoperationalchanges.Forexample,asmallleakisrepairedby
tighteningconnections.Bythetimealeakbecomeslarge,sealingsurfacesusuallyarewornand
majorrepairsareneeded.

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AMoreIndepthLook

Amaintenanceprogrammustfocusonpreventiontobeaneffectivetool.Whetherthemaintenance
programismotivatedbysafety,cost,reliableoperation,orallofthese,itisthebestmeansof
preventingcommon,boilerrelatedproblems.

Automaticlowhighwatercontrolequipmentmustbeservicedonadailybasiswhentheboilerisinoperation.A
highfrequencyofboilerfailuresistheresultoflowwater,andcanbeattributedtoacarelessboileroperator.A
proceduremustbeestablishedatyourschooltoregularlycleantheglassgaugecolumnby"blowingdown"the
columnatthestartoftheschoolday,duringnonpeakoperatingperiods,andattheconclusionoftheschoolday
orshift.Thisensuresabilitytodeterminethelevelofwaterintheboiler.
LowWater
Amajorreasonfordamagesincurredtolowpressuresteamboilersisthelowwaterwithintheboiler.Ifthe
conditionoflowwaterexistsitcanseriouslyweakenthestructuralmembersoftheboiler,andresultinneedless
inconvenienceandcost.Lowpressureboilerscanbeprotectedbyinstallinganautomaticwaterlevelcontrol
device.
Steamboilersareusuallyequippedwithautomaticwaterlevelcontroldevices.Itmustbenoted,however,that
mostfailuresoccurduetolowwateronboilersequippedwithautomaticcontroldevices.Thewatercontroldevice
willactivatewatersupplyorfeedwaterpumpstointroducewaterattheproperlevel,interruptthegaschainand
ignitionprocesswhenthewaterreachesthelowestpermissiblelevel,orperformbothfunctionsdependingon
designandinterlockingsystems.Nomatterhowautomaticawatercontroldevicemaybe,itisunabletooperate
properlyifsedimentscaleandsludgeareallowedtoaccumulateinthefloatchamber.
Accumulationsofmatterwillobstructandinterferewiththeproperoperationofthefloatdevice,ifnotproperly
maintained.Toensureforthereliabilityofthedevice,proceduresmustbeestablishedinyourdailypreventive
maintenanceprogramtoallow"blowdown"thefloatchamberatleastonceaday.Simplyopenthedrainfor3to5
secondsmakingcertainthatthewaterdrainpipingisproperlyconnectedtoadischargelineinaccordancewith
localCodes.Thisbriefdrainageprocesswillremoveloosesedimentdeposits,andatthesametime,testthe
operationofthewaterlevelcontroldevice.Ifthewaterlevelcontroldevicedoesnotfunctionproperlyitmustbe
inspected,repairedandretestedtoguaranteeproperoperation.
LowWaterCutoffTestsandMaintenance
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Therearetwoveryeffectivetestsforlowwatercontrolsonsteamboilers.Thefirstisthequickdrain.orblowdown
test,whichshouldbeperformedatatimeotherthanapeaksteamgeneratingperiod.Asthewaterisdrainedfrom
thecolumnthefiringsequenceisinterrupted,thelowwateralarmsignalactivatesandtheboileroperationshuts
down.
Thesecond,andmorecostlymethodistheslowdraintest.Byopeningtheblowdownvalvesthewaterlevelcan
becheckedtodeterminethewaterlevelinthecolumn,thegaugeglass,andtheboiler.Theboilershouldshut
downwhileyoudeterminethelevelinthegaugeglass.
Asasafetyprecaution,thelowwaterfloatchamberofhotwaterboilersshouldbetesteddaily,atthebeginningof
theshift,attheendoftheshift,andonceduringnonpeakfiringperiods.Timeoftestsandtheboilercontrols
testedshouldberecordedonyourBoilerRoomLog.
Annually,orasrequired,athoroughinspectionofalllowwatercontrolpartsshallbeperformed.Theannual
inspectionshouldincludeopeningandcleaningthewaterchamber.

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FeedWaterPumps
Old,wornandobsoletefeedwaterpumpsaresometimesoverlookedaspotentialproblems.Acentrifugalpump
mayhavewornsealringsthatallowthewatertochumbetweenthesuctionanddischargeopenings.
Anindicatorofthelatterproblemislowpressuredischarge.Also,bycomparingthetimeittakestoraisetheboiler
waterleveltoapredeterminedlevelorthetimetoemptythecondensatetanktothetimeitformerlyrequired,itis
possibletodetermineifapumpisoperatingproperly.Also,apumpthatoperatesquietlydoesnotmeanitis
functioningproperly.
Overpressure
Safeoperationofaboilerisdependentonavitalaccessory,thesafetyvalve.Failuretotestthesafetyvalveona
regularbasisortoopenitmanuallyperiodicallycanresultinheavyaccumulationsofscale,depositsofsediment
orsludgenearthevalve.Theseconditionscancausethesafetyvalvespringtosolidifyorthedisctoseal,
ultimatelyrenderingthesafetyvalveinoperative.Aconstantlysimmeringsafetyvalveisadangersignandmust
notbeneglected.Yourpreventivemaintenanceprogramincludesthedocumentationandinspectionofthesafety
valve.AdailytestmustbeperformedwhentheboilerisinoperationSimplyraisethehandoperatingleverquickly
toitslimitandallowittosnapclosed.Anytendencyofasticking,bindingorleakingofthesafetyvalvemustbe
correctedimmediately.
SteamTrapsCareandMaintenance
Steamtrapshaveplayaveryimportantroleinsteamdistributionsystems.Theserviceperformedbysteamtraps
isprimarilytodischargecondensate.Normallyasteamtrapcanbeeasilyandquicklyselectedbyconsideringonly
theaverageoperatingconditions.However,anexactanalysisoftheseconditionswillgivetheproperdata
necessaryforselectingthetypeandsizeforgreatersavingsandproperplantoperation.Afterthecarefulselection
ofthesteamtrap,itmustbeproperlyinstalled,tested,periodicallyinspected,cleanedandmaintainedtokeepit
operatingefficiently.
Trapsneedcleaningperiodically.Asimplewaytopreventdirtfromenteringistodropashortlengthofpipe
verticallybelowthesupplytothetrap(calledadirtleg)whichcanbecleanedeasilyandfrequently.
Trapscanbeseriouslydamagedbyscaleorpipecomingsinlines.Agoodpracticeistoinstallstrainersaheadof
thetrapswhichshouldbeinspectedandcleanedfrequently.
Trapsaresubjecttoseverewearifsteamblowsthroughcontinuously.Theyshouldbeinspectedforwornvalve
partsorachangeinoperatingconditions.
Whenasteamtrapfailstodischarge,inspecttheheatingsystemandbecertainthatallunitsaredrainedwith
separatetraps,thusguardingagainstshortcircuiting,lossofenergy,andreductionofoperatingefficiency.
Trapsoperatingunderhighpressureorsuperheatedsteamareofteninsulatedinamannersimilartoadjacentpipe
lines.Insuchinstances,theyshallbefittedwithdirtpockets,testvalves,anddrains.
Steamtrapsinstalledinareasexposedtoclimaticconditionswillloseheatifnotinsulatedandmayfreezeunless
adequatelyprotected.Dischargelinesshouldbeshortandselfdrainingandtrapsshouldbefittedwithadrain
tappingandvalves.
Steamtrapshandlinglargevolumesofairrequiremorefrequentinspectionandproperventingforefficient
operation.Ventsshallbeusedtoavoidairbindingandensurepositivedrainage.Gaugeglassesshallbekeptin
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BoilerQuestions

properrepair,fortheyindicatewhetherornotthetrapisworking.Periodiccleaningandgaugeglassreplacement
shallbeconsideredasahighpriorityinthemaintenanceofsteamtraps.
Allsteamtrapsrequireprotectionfromcorrosiontopreventunnecessarydeterioration.Allvalves,joints,and
gasketsshouldbekepttighttoavoidsteamleakageandultimateenergylosses.Forcontinuousandefficient
operation.steamtrapsrequireperiodicinspectionandmaintenanceforpurposesofeliminatingforeignmatterand
obstructionsinsupplyanddischargelines.Eachsteamtrapatanassignedworkstationshouldbeinspectedas
specifiedbythepreventivemaintenanceprogram.

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SteamTrapTroubleshooting
Itisimportanttoinspecttheoperationofsteamtrapsfrequently.Therearemanyconditionsunderwhichtraps
mayfailtooperateproperty.Thefollowingaresomeofthemostcommonreasonsfortrapfailures:
1.Condensatedoesnotflowintothetrap:
A.Obstructioninlinetotrapinlet.
B.Valvesleadingtotrapareclosed.
C.Bypassopenorleaking.
D.Trapmaybeairbound.
E.Insufficientpressuretoblowcondensatethroughorifice.
F.Improperinstallationoftrap.
G.Accumulationofforeignmatterwithinthetrap.
H.Trapheldclosedbydefectivemechanism.
I.Strainermaybeblocked.
2.Condensatefailstodrainfromtrap.
A.Dischargevalvemaybeclosed.
B.Trapmaynotbelargeenoughtohandlecondensate.
C.Pressuremaybetoolowtoblowthecondensatethrough.
D.Improperinstallationfordraining.
E.Checkvalvemaynotbeholding.
F.Obstructioninreturnlineorthelinemaysimplybetoosmall.
3.Trapdoesnotshutoff.
A.Trapistoosmallforthecondensateload.
B.Trapheldopenbydefectivemechanism,
C.Overloadduetoexcessiveboilerfoamingorpriming.
D.Submergedsteamcoilsleaking.
E.Differentialpressureexceedsdesignoftrap.
F.Scaleorforeignmatterlodgedinorifice.
4.Steamblowsthroughtrap.
A.Valvemechanismdoesnotcloseduetowearordefectivevalve.
B.Mechanismisheldopenbyforeignmatter.
C.Traphasnotbeenproperlyprimedorreprimedaftercleanoutorblowoff.
D.Bypassisopenorleaking.
E.Excessivepressurefordesignoftrap.

WhatisthemeaningofHorsePower?

HorsePowerisaunitofmeasurementoftheabilityofaboilertoevaporatewater,usuallygivenas
theabilitytoevaporate34lb.(15.6kg)ofwateranhour,intodrysaturatedsteam
fromandat212F(100C).

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