Is your boiler ready for Christmas?
December 10th 2007

In the rush towards the Christmas break it is easy to overlook essential maintenance steps to avoid boiler house problems on the return to work in January.

Boiler servicing companies each new year are kept busy replacing feed water pumps and pipework which have frozen during a cold snap, and much production time is lost.

Simple steps can be taken to avoid frost and other damage. If the boiler is to be off for more than 3 days it is recommended that the boiler undergoes either a dry or wet lay-up. A wet lay-up involves totally flooding the boiler, and a dry lay-up involves completely draining the boiler and associated pipework and tanks. Before a wet lay-up the boiler must be blown down to reduce the TDS levels in the boiler and the crown valve should be closed. In the case of a dry lay-up it is important that the boiler is not completely blown down too quickly.

It is best to allow the boiler to drop to around half the usual pressure and temperature before blowing down to avoid thermal shocks. With either method of laying up it is imperative that some form of background heating is present in the boiler house over the shutdown period, operating on a thermostatic control. A dry boiler can develop rust and any pipework not drained can easily freeze without this background heating. Consult your regular boiler servicing company for further advice specific to your plant.

A contingency plan would be advisable just in case the worst happens, temporary boilers can be hired, delivered and commissioned sometimes within 24 hours. Steam users with expensive perishable product often hire in stand by boilers at these vulnerable times just for insurance. The cost in hundreds of pounds for a hired boiler is insignificant compared to tens of thousands of pounds in ruined product.

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