Can someone plz tell me

maroo

there’s a gas boiler in this place and I was hearing a strange scraping noise when it cycled on so maintenance came to check it and said there’s no water in the boiler. My question is how does that happen and is it dangerous? Can it explode without water? 

ratio

SHUT IT OFF & DO NOT ADD WATER

Jamie Hall

You're sure this thing is a boiler, and not a forced air furnace? If it's a boiler, and there's no -- or even not enough -- water in it, it should not have been able to fire: at least one safety device had to be missing, bypassed, or failed. But no, it wouldn't explode -- by itself. It could fail in a number of other ways and cause a fire. However, if someone decided to put cold water into it while it was firing with no or inadequate water, that water could flash into steam -- and the boiler explode.

What the F___?

ratio

If it 'dry fired', that is, ran without water, the metal of the boiler could be overheated. Adding water to an overheated boiler can result in a steam explosion. Make sure the boiler is cooled off before adding water, & figure out where the water went.

Is this a steam system, or hot water? Post a pic showing the piping around the boiler.

bucksnort

After you shut it off and let it cool down you need to find out where the water went if this is a non steam system. Do you have water on the floor from a pressure relief valve letting off? If this is a closed water system your circulator pump could be shot from not being cooled by water too.
What did your maintenance person say caused it?

maroo

For a month I kept smelling a burning smell from the vent where the heat comes from and I knew something was wrong but they kept saying nothing was wrong and then the noise it started making like a scraping sound that’s when they figured out it had no water. It made the scraping sound at the beginning of it cycling. 

maroo

I was told before that it’s steam heat. 

pecmsg

maroo said:

For a month I kept smelling a burning smell from the vent where the heat comes from and I knew something was wrong but they kept saying nothing was wrong and then the noise it started making like a scraping sound that’s when they figured out it had no water. It made the scraping sound at the beginning of it cycling. 

This tell me you have Forced Air.

JUGHNE

Pictures of the equipment will answer a lot of questions here.

Also show your heating vents.