By Gary Frank,’American Boiler Company

There are substantial benefits to implementing a routine maintenance schedule for your boiler plant and related systems. These benefits include improved operating efficiency, reduced downtime, longer life for the equipment, and the increased likelihood that a small mechanical problem is detected before serious damage is done to the heating plant. As all building owners know, commercial boilers and related boiler control systems are a major infrastructure investment that consumes costly energy resources throughout the year. Their proper maintenance is critical not only to the safety of tenants and maintenance personnel, but also key to managing costs and the bottom line. The boiler room is not the place to cut corners.

As the end of the heating season approaches, building owners and their maintenance staff should schedule a visit from a professional boiler technician to perform a few simple tasks before the boilers are turned off during the summer, or limited to only domestic hot water heating. This visit at the end of the heating season, however, is just one part of what is required for the proper maintenance of a commercial boiler.

The year round maintenance and inspection of the boiler plant should involve the following:

  • A preventative maintenance program that provides for three scheduled visits from a qualified boiler technician. There should be one visit at the start of the heating season, one visit in the middle and one visit at the end.
  • An annual boiler cleaning and service during the off-season.
  • An annual inspection.

The preventative maintenance program is designed to catch problems before they become critical, and identify equipment that needs to be replaced in the off-season so that the projects can be properly planned and budgeted. Each preventative maintenance visit should involve an inspection of the boiler as well as pumps, valves, and other interconnected systems. Because the heating system consists of numerous interconnected pieces of equipment, it is not uncommon for boilers to be damaged by malfunctioning equipment somewhere else in the heating loop.

During the preventative maintenance visit, your boiler company should be looking for leaks, signs of corrosion, the accumulation of soot, and other evidence of wear and tear. Leaks coming from the boiler can result in excess make-up water entering the heating loop. This can contribute to corrosion and the build-up of scale, which will shorten the life of the boiler and reduce boiler efficiency. Soot around the boiler is evidence of flue gases escaping into the boiler room ‘ a dangerous condition that should be addressed immediately.

For steam boilers, the integrity of the pressure vessel itself should be inspected to guard against a potentially serious breach. Pressure controls and low water cut off devices are also critical components to check as they can prevent a runaway boiler, a dangerous condition that will likely result in significant damage.

Separate from a preventative maintenance visit, the annual boiler cleaning and service should be scheduled early in the off-season. The annual cleaning and service involves cleaning both the fire-side and the water-side of the boiler, checking boiler controls, tuning the burner, and performing a combustion analysis.

The Bureau of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Compliance requires that all commercial boilers be inspected annually. This inspection can be performed by a state inspector or by an insurance company that employs licensed boiler inspectors. It is advisable that the annual inspection take place at the same time as the annual cleaning and service because the inspector may require an internal inspection of the boiler. If the boiler has already been shut down and opened up for a cleaning, the internal inspection is just a brief interruption to the annual cleaning process, and does not require a separate visit from your boiler maintenance company.

Fire tube and water tube boilers almost always require an internal inspection. Cast iron sectional boilers, on the other hand, may require an internal inspection at the inspector’s discretion. If the inspector sees signs that the boiler is not adequately maintained (e.g., there’s soot around the boiler, visible corrosion, or leaks) an internal inspection is more likely. If the boiler is not opened for cleaning, the inspector may remove the inspection plugs, or the low water cut off for internal viewing.

The one obvious takeaway from all of these observations and recommendations is that you do not want an inspector to show up on a cold winter day to look at a poorly maintained boiler. Inspectors are obligated to ‘red tag’ and shut down any boiler that cannot be operated safely. The cost of regular boiler maintenance and cleaning are far less expensive than an unscheduled failure or shut down of your boiler in the middle of the heating season.

Your boilers can have a long, productive life if properly maintained. Now is a good time to review your plans for boiler maintenance to ensure that your boilers are operating safely and efficiently.

American Boiler Company is a mechanical contracting firm specializing in the installation and maintenance of commercial and industrial boilers. The company also installs combined heat and power (CHP) systems and other energy saving technologies. To learn more about American Boiler Company, visit www.americanboilercompany.com, or call (973) 923-1999.