skipping annual maintenance of steam boiler

elfie

have a 15 section NG fired cast iron steam boiler.



is it a good idea to skip the annual maintenance visit?





also have a 6 section oil fired steam boiler



is it a good idea to skip the annual maintenance visit?

Dave in QCA

?

Is this a trick question?

elfie

no not a trick question

actually, a group I am working with has just canceled the annual maintenance visit and was looking for some guidance to help me convince them that its not a good idea.



I am not an hvac professional and am just trying to learn and watch over boiler ops to make sure that caretaking efforts are what they should be

nicholas bonham-carter

annual maintenance

is anyone watching over the boiler now? will anyone notice whether the boiler is taking on too much water [in the case of an auto-feed with a meter]. who will test the lwco?--nbc

JStar

Hmm

Would you stop brushing your teeth and showering for a year?



They'll spend more money fixing two broken boilers next year than taking care of them this year.

Hap_Hazzard

It's like skipping a dental checkup.

Instead of a filling or two this year it will be a root canal or two next year.

gerry gill

Dave in QCA, you crack me up.

Heck we have a hard time getting most steamers through just one season without a service call yet alone two. Its like this, the annual service is to try to head the no heat call off at the pass. The service checkup call costs much less than the no heat call. Pick your poison. Either way i can assure you that a check is going to get written to the heating guy. But, if its a thermocouple or dirty ignitor on Christmas Eve, im going to laugh at you..cause i'll still be warm (i service my own boiler for crying out loud.)

PMJ

Thermocouples and igniters

Yea, those things go bad a lot.

I still have the standing pilot and bi-metal strip supervision. Never had a problem or service call with those in my 20 years with them and they were going for 30 years before I bought the place.

I'm quite sure I'd have spent more on service calls and replacements for auto ignition components than I have on the gas for the pilot.

elfie

annual cleaning - reducing scope of work

seems need for an annual cleaning of a NG fired 15 section steam boiler may be rotated (ie. since NG is alot cleaner vs oil).  would it be OK to brush down sections every other yr and do a burner cleaning every other yr too.



the key items needing attention is cleaning and testing of the low water cutoff controls, and ensuring the auto pump from feedwater tank is operating properly.



for a hot water commercial boiler fired with NG, is there really a need to have a maintenance firm come in to do an annual cleaning every yr? its an HB Smith 14 section hot water boiler.



NG is less dirty, but it you have an oil fired commercial steam boiler, it should be brush cleaned annually and burner should be cleaned.



thanks

Bob Harper

who's the professional here?

To the OP: one minute you are asking advice then the next, you are telling us how and what annual service entails. If you are looking for justification for professional service, read the installation manuals of the boiler and all attending controls and thingamabobs attached. Asking if skipping service is a blatantly silly question. If you want someone to tell you to go against the mfrs. instructions and industry stds and recommendations, good luck. If you want ammunition to steer someone in authority to do their due diligence and contract for professional service, you have access to the necessary reference materials already. Note that in commercial and industrial applications, usually, there is a State boiler code that must also be cross-referenced. Such codes may prescribe periodic maintenance and  inspection by a qualified agency such as a contractor. Now, if you want to tell us what should or should not be included in an annual inspection and service, we're all ears.

elfie

Mr Harper

i asked some very fair questions and was sincerely interested in feed back



if you are unhappy with my post, then you need not reply.



thanks

Bob Harper

asking or telling?

Elfie, you can get flustered all you want but please re-read your post. You made statements about what the key items are. You weren't asking--you were telling us. Since when does the layman tell the professional his job? Do you tell your doctor what to look for or not? Please understand we are here to help but when you come in here telling us what to look for or service within the text of rhetorical questions about the need for service, what do you expect?

Let me assist you in your query: ALL appliances recommend annual inspection and service as required per the mfrs. listed instructions. Your toaster oven should be inspected annually for a frayed power cord, damaged heating elements, function of the control knobs, verification of 125 polarized and grounded VAC power capable of 15 amps with less than a 5% voltage drop on a 20 amp circuit, then the interior cleaned out of crumbs and goo PMI. Want me to review the maintenance requirements of my alarm clock?

Yes, ALL appliances recommend annual inspection and service as required. How do you know what and if to service it? By being a qualified professional who knows what they are looking at. That's why mfrs. limit the scope of homeowner DIY maintenance. Your questions about why or if annual inspection and maintenance seem rhetorical to us because the point is moot--of course they do. We're just not used to someone asking us if a combustion appliance that brings fire into the home should be inspected annually and serviced as needed then have the homeowner dictate what to inspect and service.

Have a good day.