4 Dangers Of Using a Faulty Boiler

Faulty boilers are one of the most hazardous things that can happen in any industry. Heating systems that run on wood or fossil fuels, like gas, coal or oil, are at constant risk of emitting carbon monoxide if they are not serviced as often as they need to be. In such cases, boiler overhauling is the need of the hour, considering how dangerous a faulty boiler can be, if not attended to, on time.

Dangers of using a faulty boiler

To be fair, faulty boilers don’t necessarily scream “DANGER”. Some faulty boilers are usually safe and need just a little reset to work properly again. In fact, modern boilers are well-equipped with thermostats and pressure relief valves to prevent any danger.

But, the modern boilers aren’t full-proof, either. They sometimes do show signs that point to the potential danger of using them. Carbon monoxide – also termed the ‘silent killer’ – can be fatal, if there’s a delay. The smell of spent gas and fumes are definite signs of danger brewing. If you can smell such odor, it’s strongly advised that you contact your industrial utility service provider. Also, you should contact them, if there are any visible sooting signs or spillage marks.

Another danger of a faulty boiler is the pilot light consistently going out, or turning into a wavy yellow flame, instead of the usual blue one. Again, that is caused due to an excess of carbon monoxide in the boiler, and it spills the harmful gas inside the room, which is fatal. If you’re unsure of your boiler’s status, but you’re continuously nauseating whenever the boiler is running – buckle up and call your service provider. It’s yet another dangerous sign of your boiler being faulty, and you can even starve of air. Whenever these dangers are brewing, the most logical thing would be to turn off the boiler immediately until help arrives.

Being one of the main mechanical utility service providers in India, Energy Plus provides all kinds of utility services to industrial boilers, be it installation, boiler maintenance, IBR overhauling, and Annual IBR license renewal. Our expertise shines when it comes to those boilers that can’t be found in commercial shops. From installation of IBR Boilers to fabricating industrial chimneys, we treat our jobs with the utmost professionalism and respect, which helps us stay earnest to our clients. For almost two decades now, we’ve set a mark for ourselves, and we aim to better that every day.

5 Essential Tips On Industrial Boiler Repair And Maintenance

Industrial boilers are essential for producing steam for power generation and they are also useful for heating various chemical products in the factories. There are various reputed organizations who are experts about the installation of boilers in India. But our company, Energy Plus India is definitely one of the best among them. With more than 200 expert technicians, we have been installing and maintaining various types of boilers across India since 2001.

Here, we will discuss the 5 essential tips which we follow to repair and maintain industrial boilers.

PERIODICALLY CLEANING
The inside surface of a boiler should be kept free from soot, scale, and residual dirt because these remains reduce heat transfer efficiency and increase the chance of boiler breakdown. Our technicians use various mechanical brushes and chemicals to clean the sensitive tubes of your boilers.

PREVENT BOILER BLOWDOWN
For boiler operation and maintenance in India, you need to be highly cautious because boiler blowdown is the most common problem in a hot weather country like India. Boiler blowdown of any impact causes the draining of water and thus can prevent high concentrations of dissolved solids which allow the solids to precipitate.

TAKE CARE OF THE QUALITY OF WATER
Performance of a boiler is highly dependent on its water. You need to check the quality of water regularly by testing the amounts of dissolved minerals and residual condensate. Keep in mind that the presence of de-aerator is essential in the water. A boiler’s water should be tested more frequently if the size and the heating pressure of the boiler are more.

INSPECT THE INSULATIONS REGULARLY
Due to the high surface temperature, it is necessary to create effective insulation. If the steam and condensate piping, valves and other fittings are kept un-insulated, then that will cause a high amount of heat loss and reduced efficiency. You can contact us anytime to inspect and repair insulations.

MAINTAIN A RECORD OR A LOG
To regularly check your boiler’s performance, you should maintain a record book or a log. Daily or periodically maintain records of water and gas temperatures, pressure and glitches. Depending on such details, you can ask any provider to maintain your boiler.

Established in 2001, our company Energy Plus India has been successfully installing and maintaining industrial boilers with high reputation. With certifications like ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 9001:2008, we are involved in various services of Boiler, Chiller, Air compressor, WTP, ETP, DG, etc.

Safe Operation of a Boiler

IBR Steam Boilers are closed vessel exceeding 25 litres capacity and 1kg/cm2 pressure that are used exclusively for generating steam under pressure. It includes any mounting and or fittings attached to such vessel that is wholly or partly under pressure when the steam is shut off. This causes the boiler to be an extremely dangerous equipment which must be treated with utmost care.

Boiler Maintenance is essential to obtain maximum boiler efficiency. Regular maintenance helps to avert any kind of major break-downs. It is a big savings on overall costs. It is advised to entrust the maintenance work to licensed experts, for a commendable solution and to avert possibilities of mishaps. A scheduled maintenance program extends the life span of the boiler. Below are some important tips to safely operate a boiler:

Tips to Safely Operate a Boiler

  1. Keep A Daily Log For Smooth Operation – The daily log records is very useful to monitor the health of a boiler. Records on operating conditions that includes temperature, pressure, water quality, fuel consumption etc, help to monitor the boiler. These recorded parameters indicate the condition of the boiler, the kind of maintenance required, if any.
  2. Water Level of the boiler is vital and needs to be checked every fortnight or so. Should the boiler operate without adequate water, this can easily damage it beyond repair. Shortage of water in the boiler can lead to serious mishaps and endanger the lives of people. It is to be ensured the pilot light is on as you check the water level. If the water level is below minimum, you need to check the plumbing and correct faults if any. Sometimes, all that is required is a few minor adjustments in the set-up.
  3. Leaks may occur during normal usage of boiler. Gas or fuel leak is serious and calls for immediate attention. This usually indicates some adjustments are necessary in the system. If you detect damaged or worn out parts, it should be replaced or repaired, as the case may be, immediately.
  4. Regular Feed Water & Boiler Water Quality Check and monitoring is important to avoid scale formation in the boiler. Feed water & Boiler water’s TDS, PH & Hardness are critical factors to keep a boiler healthy. Scale formation due to hard water reduces boiler efficiency, increases fuel consumption, leads to heat loss and the possibilities of a mishap.
  5. Burner Maintenance is very important for boiler fuel efficiency. Fuel nozzles, Blower, Fuel pump, Fuel filters are important factors that improve efficiency. If fuel solenoid fails then chances of a mishap is high.
  6. Boiler Tube Cleaning is an important factor to improve boiler efficiency.
  7. Testing of Boiler Safety Mounting and Interlocking to prevent mishaps and increase the boiler health.
  8. Blow Down at regular intervals helps maintain boiler water quality and prevents scale formation.
  9. De-scaling, hard water usually gives rise to excessive lime-scale in the boiler. This prevents the boiler from functioning smoothly. If left to accumulate, lime-scale will hamper the heating capacity of the boiler. You will need to de-scale your boiler should you notice too much lime-scale inside the boiler.
  10. Annual Check & Overhauling is a mandatory practice to have your boiler checked at least once a year by a registered engineer. This ensures the safety and efficiency of the boiler. Any emerging problems can be noted and dealt with accordingly. The license to operate the boiler is issued after inspection.