Boilers: A Manager's Guide to Maintenance
Part 1: Boiler Maintenance: Establish a Water-Treatment Program
Part 2: Boiler Maintenance: Determine Ideal Blowdown Rates
Part 3: Boilers: Perform Annual or Biannual Cleaning and Inspection
Part 4: Include Efficiency Testing in Boiler-Maintenance Programs
Part 5: Boiler Maintenance: Safety Considerations
Part 6: Boilers: Repair or Replace?
Special Report Prepared for the American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA)
Boilers: Perform Annual or Biannual Cleaning and Inspection
By James Piper, P.E. - January 2010 - HVAC
Another important maintenance task is the boiler's annual or biannual cleaning and inspection. Any accumulation of soot or ash on the boiler's fire-side surfaces reduces heat-transfer rates and decreases operating efficiency.
For example, even a barely visible accumulation of soot can reduce efficiency by up to 10 percent. If the soot accumulates for several years without a cleaning, it is common to find efficiency has declined by 20 percent or more.
Cleaning the boiler's water side is an important task. Large boilers typically require annual cleaning. Technicians should monitor smaller boilers, test them regularly, and clean them as needed.
Managers typically schedule annual cleanings to coordinate with the boiler's annual inspection, at least one month before the start of the heating season. In addition to improving boiler efficiency, annual cleaning and inspection gives managers the opportunity to identify developing problems that otherwise might go undetected.
