A seasonal layup can conserve energy use and provide a window for maintenance.

With the onset of warmer weather, many companies look to economize on energy use by laying up heating boilers until late fall. This task raises two very large questions –

1. Is this a task for your plant management staff to handle on their own, or should they bring in their mechanical contractor?
2. Should you and/or your contractor select a wet layup or a dry layup process? And what are the steps involved with each?

Many experienced plant managers understand the process of boiler layup and can safely manage the task on their own, although having available staff time may be a different question altogether. Additionally, boiler layup time is often used to conduct additional inspections and cleanings, which may require the added assistance of American Boiler & Mechanical.

Regardless of who ultimately addresses the layup process, there are specific steps involved, and these steps vary widely for a wet layup and a dry layup, so let’s first address the selection between these two processes.

Wet Layup

A wet layup is often used for shorter periods of downtime since the boiler can more quickly and easily be returned to service. Additionally, some plant managers in wetter (humid) environments may lean toward a wet layup due to the problems of fully drying a boiler. The same goes for some boilers that use complex internal piping that would render complete drying to be more troublesome.

If a wet layup is selected, the boiler should be shut down according to its guidelines, which typically include turning off the fuel supply and isolating it from the rest of the piping system. Corrosion inhibitors, like sodium sulfite or other oxygen-consuming additives are added to the boiler water to inhibit corrosion and prevent freezing. The water chemistry should be checked periodically to ensure a successful layup term.

Dry Layup

Dry layups offer simple longer-term layup maintenance, as there is no water chemistry to monitor, yet they also provide adequate time and access to perform any necessary maintenance to the boiler.

The process for a dry layup also starts with turning off the fuel supply and isolating it from the rest of the system. Additionally, after cooling, the boiler is drained completely. Air dryers, desiccants and/or dehumidifiers are used to dry and keep the boiler dry during the layup. Additional desiccants are placed in trays inside the boiler and openings are securely closed to prevent moisture from entering. Desiccants should periodically be checked and replaced if they absorb moisture.

Additional Boiler Maintenance

Layup time provides ample opportunity to conduct any maintenance on the vessel, including soot and ash removal from the fireside surfaces, the combustion chamber, tubes and heat exchangers.

Regardless of the layup process selected, burners should be inspected and cleaned to help ensure optimal combustion when the boiler is restarted. Refractory materials should be checked for cracks, wear or damage and the flue and stack should be cleaned to ensure proper drafting.

Waterside surfaces should be flushed and cleaned to remove scale and other deposits. Other waterside components like the feedwater system and condensate return lines should be inspected and cleaned to ensure they operate free from scale and corrosion.

If your system uses a waste heat recovery system, it should also be inspected and cleaned during the layup time to protect it from corrosion and damage. This could involve isolating the system through the closing of valves and dampers, shutting down fans and cleaning the heat exchanger. If this system has a waterside, drain and flush it to remove contaminants, preparing it for when the season changes colder again. Then the waste heat recovery system itself should have a layup process – either wet or dry.

When the time comes to restart the boiler and heating system, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to safely reverse the layup process.

Boilers and piping systems are integral parts of many industrial, commercial and institutional facilities. Seasonal boiler layups provide the opportunity to conserve energy while performing any maintenance necessary for the following year’s performance. It’s this downtime servicing that helps ensure the greatest efficiency and longest life possible for your boiler system.

At American Boiler & Mechanical, we’re boiler and process piping experts. If we can be of assistance, contact us by calling 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.americanboilermech.com.

Boiler burner control technology has evolved considerably in the digital age. And rightly so – if the burner is the heart of the system, the burner control system is the brain.

The burner control serves three basic purposes: 1) It controls the supply of fuel according to the boiler’s load; 2) it controls the air supply according to the fuel consumption; and 3) it will shut off the burners in case of an emergency.

But even with advances in burner control technology, routine maintenance is important. Air temperature in a boiler room may change dramatically from day to night and from season to season, leading to changes in combustion efficiencies.

Routine maintenance of your burner control system will:

• Prevent breakdowns/downtime
• Maintain the highest level of efficiency
• Ensure safe operation
• Reduce emissions
• In HVAC applications, optimize the comfort level in your building

Annual maintenance is the minimum standard. At AB&M we recommend quarterly or monthly system assessments. Whether you’re doing the maintenance yourself or hiring the experienced pros at AB&M, here’s a checklist that keeps the burner control system operating at its maximum level:

• Inspect and clean the heat exchanger, igniter, atomizer, electrodes, and other components, if applicable
• Check pressures, vacuum readings, safety controls, and limits
• Measure, O2, CO2 levels and exhaust temperatures
• Tighten electrical connections
• Check start-up burner operation
• Minimize air leakage to ensure optimal combustion
• Perform a combustion efficiency test and make follow-up adjustments as needed

Another sometimes overlooked aspect to the boiler burner control system is using a controller that works with both primary and back-up fuel sources. There are many off-the-shelf component options available to meet such requirements.

To be certain your boiler’s burner control system is operating properly, contact us by calling 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.AmericanBoilerMech.com.

These days boiler explosions are rare, but when they occur, they usually make the day’s headlines.

The explosive force of even a small boiler can cause catastrophic damage to the equipment, but also neighboring rooms, buildings, and even personnel.

Typical causes for such events include a stuck safety valve or poor water treatment which leads to scaling and overheating of the metal. A third cause, which is easily preventable, is low water level.

What causes a low-water condition?

• Someone left the boiler blowdown valve partially open.
• The relief valve or safety valve has discharged.
• The condensate pump or feedwater pump isn’t working as it should.
  • The float may have come loose.
  • The condensate may be too hot to pump. (Check those steam traps!)
• Heavy deposits (scale) on the waterside surfaces.
  • Check the pH of the water. It should be between 7 and 9.
  • Check the condition of the water.
  • Check the burner’s firing rate.
• All of the condensate may not be returning from the system (a common problem with process applications).
• Loss of plant compressed air pressure to the control valve actuator, if applicable.
• Large sudden changes in steam load.
• Improper wiring of low water cut off devices.

To avoid a boiler explosion or damage from loss of water, a low water fuel cutoff device should be used. Such a device will shut down the system by turning off electrical current to the firing device, should the water level system fall below a safe level.

There are two main types of low water fuel cutoff devices: Electronic devices, which use a probe; and mechanical devices, which use a float switch. Both variants are also available combined with pump controllers.

Most boiler systems have a secondary or back-up cutoff, which is typically a probe type with a manual reset. Your American Boiler & Mechanical technician can make sure you’re using the best device for your situation.

Testing the Cutoff

Regular testing of your cutoff is recommended. There are two ways to test: The Quick Drain Test, which focuses on the float within the cutoff; and the more involved Slow Drain Test, which requires lowering the water in the boiler. Your American Boiler & Mechanical technician can walk you through these tests to ensure system safety and operability.

While there have been many innovations in boiler technologies over the years, the simplest and cheapest component – water – has the potential to shut the whole system down. The quality of the water going into a boiler system is critical to its operation, efficiency and longevity.

Boiler feed water may originate from surface-water sources such as rivers and lakes, or groundwater sources such as wells. While groundwater has fewer chemical contaminants than surface water, due to the natural filtering of rock and sediment, it tends to have higher mineral content due to the dissolving action of water. And excess minerals in a closed system boiler, particularly calcium, magnesium and silica, will lead to a number of damaging conditions.

“Many of our customers are dealing with hard water,” said Jason Hemphill, vice president of American Boiler & Mechanical. “We work closely with them to ensure their water is treated to optimize the performance and longevity of their boiler system.”

Boiler operators who are not treating their water properly, Hemphill warns, are vulnerable to these costly problems:

Corrosive Compound Build-Up

Build-up can be a problem in any water system, but it can be especially troublesome in boilers. Oxygen and carbon dioxide can accumulate in your system, and over time can cause corrosion.  Dissolved oxygen, salts, and carbon dioxide can build up quickly.  This can usually be avoided by using feed water that is alkalized to a pH of 9.0 to 10.0.  Using water with the right pH can also help form a thin layer of magnetite on the boiler waterside surfaces to avoid further damage to the metal. Failure to remove oxygen from the incoming boiler feedwater can cause serious and widespread pitting and corrosion in boiler tubes, especially in the economizer section of the watertube boilers, drastically reducing their useful life expectancy.

Boiler Deposits/Scale

Compound deposits (also called scale) in boilers will reduce its efficiency and reliability.  Deposits don’t just reduce the amount of heat transfer in the boiler; it also slows water flow and blocks boiler tubes.  Salts and minerals that remain in the boiler will get overly concentrated, producing a nasty looking grey-ish white build up inside the boiler. Eventually the boiler won’t function well, delivering inconsistent water temperatures, flow and may lead to tube overheating.

Stress Corrosion Cracking/Caustic Embrittlement

The buildup of caustic chemicals may not just decrease the efficiency of boilers; they could actually cause significant damage to pipes and to the boiler itself. Caustic embrittlement usually occurs at temperatures of 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that can be easily reached in any boiler. This problem is particularly troublesome because it usually occurs in important steel boilerplates,  which can be the most stressed and vulnerable part of your boiler.

To prevent such problems AB&M recommends frequent boiler water testing.  For boilers where adding chemicals is the only type of treatment, daily testing is recommended. Where operation are in steady state, weekly testing will usually be sufficient as long as no upset is discovered. Following an upset, more frequent testing is needed to ensure the problem is corrected. For more complex water treatment systems, such as those with water softeners, and especially ion exchange units with regeneration, more frequent testing may be necessary, possibly every few hours.

For boilers that are encountering problems due to poor water quality, AB&M offers repair and/or equipment replacement options to promptly get the system running again.

For more information on optimizing your boiler’s water quality and system performance, as well as issues or questions regarding process piping, contact us at 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.americanboilermech.com.

Most boilers today, industrial/commercial and residential, are fueled by natural gas. Which is good because today natural gas is generally plentiful, efficient and less expensive than other fuel types. Moreover, gas is dependable. According to a 2018 report by the Natural Gas Institute, “an electric customer (in the U.S.) is 64 times more likely to experience an outage than a natural gas customer.”

But no utility is perfect. Take, for example, the natural gas curtailments throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states last winter.
 
In Texas, the long freeze, power outages, and insurance claims for burst water pipes are expected to easily go down as the costliest weather event in state history, according to The Dallas Morning News, with the final tally reaching nearly $300 billion.

“Once electrical power outages at power generation units began due to the extreme cold weather, natural gas production and transportation were impacted because surface facilities and infrastructure rely heavily on electricity for operations. Then, power outages at natural gas facilities impaired the ability of power generators to receive natural gas supplies,” according to an analysis commissioned by the Texas Oil and Gas Association.

American Boiler & Mechanical customers in Oklahoma and Kansas were affected, too, said AB&M Vice President Jason Hemphill.

While severe storms can cause power failures, it's still rare, statistically, that they will cause a major natural gas outage. In fact, unplanned gas outages are more commonly a result of damaged infrastructure caused by third parties, typically from excavation digging.

Options Currently Available

Boiler downtime due to loss of natural gas is preventable with a backup strategy. Here are some options available through American Boiler & Mechanical:

• Propane: An alternative fuel source that can be stored on premises, propane is widely available and is considered highly efficient, with an efficiency rating of at least 85 percent, as rated by their AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). AB&M has experience setting up such systems, which typically require a different regulator than our natural gas system.
•  #2 Diesel Fuel: The most significant value offered by such distillate fuel oil types is their energy density. For instance, whenever fuel oil energy is measured in BTUs it is extremely high. In comparison to other boiler fuel types, no other type — gas, liquid, or solid — has a higher energy density than residual oil and distillate diesel. Again, AB&M can help. Using diesel #2 will likely require a burner upgrade on your system.
• A rental boiler: Many companies will occasionally need to rent an industrial boiler for emergency needs, or to ensure seamless operations while awaiting a new installation or service on an existing boiler. Typically, piping is required for a rental boiler. Whatever the need, American Boiler & Mechanical has you covered. With several industrial boilers trailer-mounted for quick delivery and hookup – usually in 1 to 3 days – AB&M can augment your system quickly and affordably.

Your Backup Strategy Starts with Planning

All backup options listed above should ideally start with a site survey by a qualified professional. Such a survey will determine piping and access requirements, including estimated timetables. Prudent boiler system managers will schedule such a survey today.

To get your boiler system prepared for the unexpected, contact us by calling 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.americanboilermech.com.

It’s always important to ensure your steam boiler is performing at its optimal level.

Anything short of optimal leaves your operation exposed to higher energy costs, downtime, safety issues, costly repairs and even more costly replacement.

It’s always important to ensure your steam boiler is performing at its optimal level. Anything short of optimal leaves your operation exposed to higher energy costs, downtime, safety issues, costly repairs and even more costly replacement.

Periodic preventive maintenance – whether performed by in-house techs or by a trusted contractor like AB&M – is the first step to top performance.

If you’re tackling this task in-house, check first to see if your maintenance department has a boiler safety checklist in place. Such a form will walk you through the required inspections step-by-step. If no such form exists, it’s time to call a boiler expert.

Here are your priorities for a boiler maintenance check-up:

Annual Internal Inspection (or more frequently, as needed)

• Inspect the fireside surfaces for leaks
• Replace all parts affected by wear, including gaskets to re-seal the combustion inspection covers that were removed to clean the fireside surfaces
• Remove the burner and thoroughly wash and clean the mesh, where applicable.
• Replace old igniter, flame rod and gaskets
• Select the right water treatment to prevent scale deposits and oxidation.
• Examine and clean flame sensors, ignitor, and burner assembly (or more frequently if efficiency drops)
• Check operating control settings and test safety controls (low water fuel cutoff and burner controls)
• Re-start the equipment and adjust combustion using a calibrated analyzer.
• Inspect the steam traps where applicable.  Rebuild or replace as needed.
• Conduct slow drain test to ensure low water cutoff is working properly

Daily Basis

• Conduct quick drain test to ensure low water cutoff is working properly
• Inspect burner flame. If a natural gas flame looks different from the typical blue color, take corrective action
• Check temperature readings and/or pressure readings to make sure all are within the designed range
• Inspect around and under your boiler equipment for leaking water
• Make sure the area around the boiler is unobstructed and free of materials that may cause obstruction
• Watch for any error codes or service codes on the display panel if at all applicable
• Listen closely for any unusual vibrations or noises from the equipment
• Visually inspect combustion air openings, exhaust vent piping, and all discharge lines (including condensing boiler drains) for any indications of leakage, deterioration, or signs of blockage
• Examine the relief valve discharge piping and boiler relief valve for any noticeable signs of leakage or weeping
• Ensure all boiler connections and wiring is intact
• Test to ensure water pH levels are within the proper range

American Boiler & Mechanical is here to help with your preventive maintenance needs, as well as issues or questions regarding process piping. For on-site help contact us at 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.americanboilermech.com.

Being boiler and process piping specialists, out service vehicles carry the tools and parts of the trade. Unlike construction contractors that do boiler and piping work only as part of a larger project, or smaller local companies with limited resources, American Boiler & Mechanical's 80+ service vehicles are properly equipped for your job. That means our experienced and trained technicians will usually have on site what's required to promptly get your system operating fully, efficiently, and safely.

Our trucks are equipped with the following key items:

Call the experts at AB&M for expert mechanical assistance: 800-235-5377

Boilers, generally speaking, are among the must-not-fail equipment in your operation. That’s why a rigorous preventive maintenance program is important. But even with thorough preventive maintenance you will eventually find yourself asking whether it’s time to repair or replace.

Depending on several factors, including boiler type, manufacture quality, application and fuel type, the life expectancy of a boiler is 20-25 years, according to the American Boiler Manufacturers Association. With proper maintenance we’ve seen some in operation for more than 50 years. A well-maintained boiler will last longer than those that are not serviced regularly, but eventually you should consider replacement.

Here are 4 things to consider when evaluating repair or replace of a boiler:

1. Do you have a boiler expert assessing the overall health of the boiler? Beware of the “Yes, we do boilers too” service contractor who specializes in other areas, such as HVAC. Their boiler expertise is typically narrow and may not include boilers used in processing or manufacturing. They may not look for red flags such as flue gas temperature, radiation/convection losses, turndown (the boiler’s ability to achieve a wide range of output), and what trends were spotted in past inspections. Work with an established company that has a history in a variety of boiler types and applications.
2. Is it maintaining efficiency levels adequate for your needs? Worn out burners and/or excessive scale and deposit buildup on the water side will greatly affect the boiler’s energy efficiency. As will other, such as combustion efficiency, seasonal efficiency, thermal efficiency and fuel-to-steam efficiency.  Such issues may be repairable and may get you back to the historical mean levels of efficiency. But if your company is like many others today, with “green” initiatives across the organization, a new boiler will deliver higher, trackable energy efficiency from Day 1.
3. How old is the boiler and what’s been done to it? If the boiler has reached the 25-year mark or so, and it’s already gone through a number of repairs and upgrades, is it still worth sinking money into? A history of extensive weld repairs, factory repairs, burner upgrades and changes in the controls might signal it is time for something new. On the other hand, if old reliable is still reliable, a rigorous preventive maintenance schedule may keep it in service for another 5-10 years.
4. Has the boiler’s initial purpose changed? A boiler may have been purchased and installed a decade or two ago for a specific purpose with specific output loads. If the application and the output loads have changed – up or down – it may be best to consider a larger or smaller boiler that is right sized for the job and can deliver better performance and efficiencies.

Ultimately, it’s best to get an expert’s opinion on repair or replace through an on-site inspection. An American Boiler & Mechanical technician can help you with that, as well as issues or questions regarding process piping. Schedule a visit by calling 800-235-5377 or through our website at www.americanboilermech.com.