Steam Boiler Question

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Wet layup is preferable. The boiler should be filled completely with water that has your normal chemical treatment. Dry layup will cause more corrosion as it is exposed to the air.

If you want to take one off line for the summer, it should be drained, opened, cleaned and inspected. It can later be filled with treated water while the second is done. I'd rotate infrequently if at all. Leakage will be minimal if the tubes are in good condition.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) publishes the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Recommended Guidelines for the Care of Power Boilers. It has everything you need to know.

If you can't find it, contact me and I can copy a couple of pages and mail them to you. Ed

[Joe Koval]

I supervise the operation of two 250 Hp steam firetube boilers operating at

75 psi. Warmer weather is hard on the boilers because they cycle often because of low demand. I have shut one down temporarily, and will alternate them at some frequency, but, I want to know whether it will be harder on the boilers if I alternate them after two weeks, four weeks, or ????? After one week, they are cold to the touch. Will the internal water tubes start leaking if I alternate them too frequently? Just looking for some input from others who maintain steam boilers.