With winter on the way, it is critical to prepare your boiler heating plant for safe & efficient operation. Mechanical contractors, plant engineers, building owners and building maintenance workers alike should schedule a yearly preventive maintenance appointment to ensure everything is in working order. A properly maintained boiler is the first step in keeping your occupants safe and warm.
Check out this list of items that should be completed during your yearly inspection:
- Examine venting system: Look for signs of leaks or sagging of the exhaust flue and intake piping. Leaking of flue gases or condensate is a safety issue. Sagging or blockages in the exhaust and intake piping can create unsafe boiler operating issues.
- Inspect fuel train, burner and control panel: This will ensure components are free of debris and are properly attached to the unit.
- Inspect and clean burner: Many high efficiency boilers have burners that should be inspected and cleaned as part of factory annual preventive maintenance recommendations. A dirty/clogged burner can reduce the boiler’s efficiency and heat output. Lack of proper cleaning can lead to burner failure.
- Test low water safety control: Although these devices are solid state in design, the probe is exposed to possible contamination in the building’s water heating loop. It is important to physically inspect, clean or replace the probe annually.
- Test operating controls: Raise and lower the operating control set point as required to start the boiler and bring the boiler temperature up. Confirm the unit shuts down at the desired set point.
- Test high limit safety control: Lower the high limit set point and confirm the unit shuts off and must be manually reset.
- Inspect safety relief valve: Test the operation of the safety relief valve per the manufacturer’s requirements.
- Complete combustion flue gas analysis: The exhaust flue gases and temperature should be checked with a calibrated flue gas analyzer for proper/safe combustion through the entire firing range of the unit. Testing of the flue gas with a combustion analyzer is crucial to making sure your unit is running properly and not producing carbon monoxide.
Want to schedule your yearly preventive maintenance appointment? UEP works with the top service companies in the area with factory-trained technicians— contact us today so we can connect you!
