Boiler Maintenance 101

Arguably one of the most important pieces of industrial equipment at many plants and facilities is the boiler. Boilers provide the steam necessary to power turbines, provide process heat, and accomplish an array of other functions critical to operation. However, the boiler is also a sensitive piece of equipment that must be very carefully maintained to keep it operating safely and efficiently. In fact boiler maintenance is far too in-depth a topic to cover in one short article, but let’s have a quick overview of some basics of boiler maintenance 101.

Why Is Boiler Maintenance So Important?

First, let’s take a look at why boiler maintenance is so important to begin with. Good boiler maintenance serves a number of crucial roles including each of the following:
  • Boiler maintenance prevents accidents
  • Boiler maintenance prevents shutdowns and outages
  • Boiler maintenance is required for compliance with many regulations and laws
  • Boiler maintenance helps increase and maintain a boiler’s efficiency
  • Boiler maintenance can increase the service lifespan of a boiler
  • Boiler maintenance can ultimately save industrial facilities money
These are just a few of the reasons why good boiler maintenance is a non-negotiable must at most industrial facilities.

What Steps Are Involved in Effective Boiler Maintenance?

Why exact maintenance activities on a given boiler will vary depending on the type of boiler, its purpose for the facility, and other individual factors, in general effective boiler maintenance will include most of the following elements:
  • Preserving efficiency and minimizing heat loss
  • Cleaning and checking water gauges and glass
  • Clearing sludge and sediment from piping and float chamber
  • Checking and maintaining the boiler’s fuel system
  • Monitoring safety valves for signs of corrosion
  • Maintaining condensate recovery systems if applicable
  • Evaluating water treatment systems
  • Preserving an optimal air-to-fuel ratio
  • Removing soot from heat transfer surfaces
  • Monitoring stack temperature gauge readings and responding accordingly
  • Evaluating condition of the fuel cutoff system

Good Records Are Crucial for Boiler Maintenance

Finally, it is important to emphasize the necessity of keeping very thorough boiler logs and reviewing them on a regular basis. It is only be routinely evaluating past performance that trends in the overall function and efficiency of a boiler and its component systems can be detected. Any maintenance activities should be meticulously detailed in the boiler log so that future technicians can easily identify recurring problems.

ISM Industries offers dependable, effective boiler maintenance and repair services. These boiler services synergize well with our fabrication and general maintenance services and we are proud to offer comprehensive field services to our clients. Our goal is to help our industrial clients get the most value and benefit from their boilers.