Maintenance and Servicing of Industrial, Commercial, and Hospital Boiler Rooms
Since boiler rooms are often out of sight, they are frequently overlooked and not maintained properly.
In fact, we tend to neglect boiler rooms, only visiting them when something goes wrong, much like ignoring a patient until they fall ill.
However, if we make it a priority to protect and maintain it, we can rest assured about potential issues.
Therefore, to provide you with more information, we will first discuss the layout and general specifications of the equipment in a building’s boiler room.
Next, we will cover the steps for technical inspection and periodic maintenance of the building’s boiler room to complete your knowledge on this subject.
For larger boiler rooms, which are typically used in residential, commercial, office, recreational, and industrial complexes, it is common to have a facility technician stationed on-site for maintenance and repairs. This ensures that any issues that arise can be managed promptly.
For small residential boiler rooms, maintenance is usually less detailed, and typically a technician or repair person will visit the site to repair or replace a specific component.
Inspection and servicing of the boiler room refer to the necessity of periodic inspections of the boiler room equipment.
In general, if maintenance and repairs of boiler room equipment are done at the right time and following regular periodic servicing, it will lead to a reduction in the overall system costs in the long term.
This is because servicing and repairing equipment at the optimal time extends the system’s lifespan, reducing the need for costly replacements.
Maintenance and servicing of a boiler room encompass a variety of activities. These include the following:
• Pump maintenance and repair
• Burner maintenance and repair
• Double-jacketed tank maintenance and repair
• Pump maintenance and repair
• Burner maintenance and repair
• Double-jacketed tank maintenance and repair
• Boiler room piping system maintenance
• Insulation of tanks and pipes
• Valve servicing and replacement
• Adjustment of gas burner solenoid valves
• Replacement of boiler room valves
• And more…
• The placement of the boiler and its accessories in the boiler room, if multiple boilers are included, should be arranged so that the front faces of the boilers are aligned in a row, with any length discrepancies positioned at the end.
• If the boiler model, number of sections, or thermal capacity is clearly specified for cast iron boilers, it is not necessary to write down the dimensions. However, for steel boilers, it is essential to specify the exact dimensions.
• Note that the distance between two boilers should not be less than 1 meter. Additionally, at least 1 meter of space should be available in front of each boiler for maintenance purposes.
• There should be a safe distance of at least 1 meter between the top of the boiler and the ceiling of the boiler room.
• When using more than one hot water boiler in the boiler room, a direct pipe connection between the boilers should be provided from the top to balance the pressure inside the boilers, ensuring that each branch pipe is in direct contact with the water level inside the boilers.
The diameter of this balancing pipe, referred to as the water balancing pipe, is determined according to the tables in National Standard 16000.
• If multiple boilers are used in the boiler room, it is preferable to use separate chimneys for each boiler. If a common chimney is used, it is recommended to follow the design pattern specified in the national standard for common chimneys.
• Other boiler room equipment should be positioned in front of or behind the boilers in a manner that facilitates easy maintenance and replacement.
• The principles and methods for repairing gas burners are detailed in the article on burner repair and troubleshooting in the boiler room for your reference.
• It is recommended to keep the combustion surfaces clean.
• It is advisable to descale the part of the boiler in contact with water.
• Ensure correct placement, installation, and assembly of the boiler.
• Verify the proper functioning of the thermostat. Comparing the boiler thermostat with the pump thermostat can help ensure its correct operation.
Periodic Technical Inspection and Maintenance of the Boiler Room
To determine the level of pollution and optimize fuel consumption in the boiler room, the following steps should be performed:
1.Introduce the inspection team to the building manager and present the work schedule.
2.Visit the boiler room with the facilities manager.
3.Have the facilities manager start the burner and pumps to assess their initial condition. Once the burner and pumps are confirmed to be in good working order, proceed with the activities.
4. Turn off other loads as much as possible and read the meter reading.
5. Record the readings on the boiler thermostat and pump.
6.Identify the location for measuring the combustion products on the flue and create an opening of the diameter required for the combustion products analyzer.
7.Measure the concentration of combustion products using the combustion products analyzer.
8.Ensure the boiler remains operational by setting the thermostat to an appropriate temperature during the measurement of the gas flow rate. With other loads turned off, measure the gas flow rate to the burner using a meter for 60 seconds.
(Note: Some maintenance principles may vary with weather conditions. The article on boiler adjustments according to seasonal changes provides useful information on this topic.)
9.Record the meter readings for gas burners along with the operation time.
10.Document the initial combustion analysis results in the technical record.
11. Calculate the nominal capacity of the boiler burner.
12. Determine the capacity of the boiler.
13. Establish the optimal nominal capacity of the burner.
14.Determine the optimal gas or fuel oil consumption rate.
15.Inspect the sealing of walls, connections, and any leaks in the boiler room, and make repairs if possible.
16.Seal other openings (such as around the burner installation) with aluminum tape or boiler putty if possible.
17.If possible, install an appropriate damper on the flue.
18.If part of the flue needs to be replaced, it is recommended to coordinate this with the boiler room manager.
19.If the flue draft is positive or zero, check it (or take a draft measurement) when off to ensure there are no blockages in the flue path.
20.Inspect the fuel line and identify any issues.
21.Check the filter and replace it if necessary.
22.Service and maintain the burner. Burner servicing should include at least the following:
a) Remove the main cover of the burner, clean the fan and the air pressure sensor tube.
b) Inspect the spark plug and flame sensor, and replace them if necessary with the boiler room manager’s agreement.
c) Inspect and adjust the flame spreader and flame cover if needed.
23. Check for proper alignment and installation of the burner.
24. Verify the operation of the gas and air pressure sensors and relay, ensuring they are correctly set up and adjusted.
25.To create relative coordination between the boiler capacity and burner, adjust the gas input to the burner proportionally based on the initial and optimal consumption rates.
26. Ensure the flame does not reach the bottom of the boiler and covers up to 80% of the boiler length.
27.After adjusting the initial gas or fuel oil flow, set the air damper so that the carbon monoxide level is within the standard range and the excess air is minimized (recommended to be less than 30%).
28. If the desired point cannot be reached by adjusting the air damper, gradually reduce the gas or fuel oil flow and adjust the air damper to approach the optimal point.
29. If achieving this point is not possible at lower capacities, gradually increase the capacity until the optimal point is reached, ensuring the flame does not reach the end of the boiler.
30.After reaching the desired operational point, record the results of the analysis and turn off the burner.
31.Read and record the meter reading.
32. After gathering all equipment and completing the work, complete the technical record and have it signed by the building’s boiler room manager.
33. Exit the boiler room, visit the building manager (if the boiler room manager is not the building manager), and finalize the technical record with the boiler room manager’s signature and final approval.
For those interested in details about boiler maintenance, here are some sample steps for servicing and repairing a boiler:
Turn off the boiler burner switch at the electrical panel.
Remove the burner relay from its base and then disconnect the phase and neutral wires, taking safety precautions. It is also recommended to temporarily cover the phase and neutral wire ends with electrical tape for added protection.
Close the fuel oil line valve and disconnect the fuel oil hoses from the burner using a wrench or adjustable spanner.