Boilers and Water Heaters: Technician Training
Part 1: Boilers and Water Heaters: Proper Training Can Save Money
Part 2: Boilers and Water Heaters: A How-To Training Guide
Part 3: Manufacturers, Community Colleges Offer Boiler Operator Training
Part 4: Training Programs Must Account for New Boiler, Water Heater Technology
Part 5: PRODUCT FOCUS: Boilers and Water Heaters
Boilers and Water Heaters: Proper Training Can Save Money
By Michael Mooney - December 2009 - HVAC
Ensuring the efficient operation of boilers and water heaters goes beyond basic maintenance. Maintenance and engineering managers also need to staff operation and maintenance programs with technicians who possess the right combination of technical — which can include the hands-on application of methods and procedures to analytical problem-solving expertise — and managerial skills.
Management Focus
To be effective, managers must organize, staff, train, plan, and control the operation and maintenance of a facility with the cooperation of all departments and top management. Among any manager's most important responsibilities is overseeing operation and maintenance budgets and protecting life-cycle objectives. Essential in this effort is implementing a training program.
Training should serve the needs of both the facility and boiler operators. Facility needs are generally broad, but it is always important for managers to minimize the life-cycle costs related to boiler operations.
Success in minimizing these costs often relates directly to the level of dedication, training and commitment among operators. In turn, the operators' success largely depends on clearly defined goals and objectives, management support, training, and frequent two-way communications related to condition monitoring.
Comments
jmm91 wrote re: Boilers and Water Heaters: Proper Training Can Save Money
on 1/4/2010 2:40:12 PM
Training in equipment operation and maintenance is critical to good, safe, reliable operations and will save you money in the long run especially in your boiler plant. A trained operator can keep a minor problem from becoming a total failure which we all know happens at the worst possible time.
Find and select a good water treatment company for your boilers be they steam or hot water yes hot water systems need chemical treatment to maintain their piping systems.
I use personally use Barclay Water systems which has been very good on training for myself and now my staff over the past 30+ years through various job and positions. They offer excellent training on both chilled watersystems Hot Water and Steam systems.
The boiler manufacturers have excellent training for their products and Trades schools offer indepth training that will serve you well. As for safety controls on your boiler weither they be steam or Hot Water change them out on a regular basis depending on how they are used Low water cutoffs devices should be changed out every 5 years, safety valves the same on Hot Water and annualy checked and recertified every 2 years remember this is the last device you want not functioning in an emergency.
As to training your staff some of you are saying if I train them they will leave and I will be stuck with the cost. Well what some of my former employers had done for me is:
They paid for my training I signed an agreement to repay in full the cost of the training if I did not stay with them for xx years. This served me and them well when I moved on they encourged me to the next step in my career.
Remember a well trained operator who can keep you up and running safely is better than sitting there making panic phone calls to vendors!
