One of the main concerns in the industrial sector that uses boilers is the relentless pursuit of maximum technical efficiency and fuel economy, without compromising safety. To achieve this, correct boiler maintenance becomes essential.

Regardless of the company's line of business, boiler maintenance, as provided for in NR-13, helps to maintain the correct functioning of this equipment, as well as ensuring the safety of employees and the company's structure, preventing the occurrence of various defects .

Given all this, we have separated the main information you need to know about boiler maintenance, as well as recommendations on when and how to carry out this procedure.

Why should your company prioritize boiler maintenance?

Boilers are equipment that always operate under high pressure and temperature. To avoid problems (which can be quite serious), they have different safety systems, responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of the machinery.

However, for them to function well, NR-13 indicates that boiler control and safety systems must undergo preventive or predictive maintenance, in addition to regular review and inspection.

With good maintenance, especially preventative maintenance, equipment is prevented from being down, which means there is no loss of productivity and economic value.

It is important to emphasize that boilers are equipment with a very high purchase value, so a breakdown or unfeasibility of use should not be an option, that is, maintenance should be a priority.

Furthermore, correct maintenance of the equipment allows the useful life of the boiler to be increased, allowing it to be used with maximum efficiency, taking advantage of the invested equipment.

Steps related to boiler maintenance

For maintenance to be efficient, it is essential that the professionals assigned to this important action follow the guidelines set out in NR-13, which states:

“This Regulatory Standard – NR establishes minimum requirements for managing the structural integrity of steam boilers, pressure vessels and their interconnecting pipes in aspects related to installation, inspection, operation and maintenance, aiming at the safety and health of workers.”

Based on this regulatory standard, professionals must prepare a boiler maintenance plan, which must describe: maintenance frequency, definition of instruments and control systems, in addition to the assignment of professionals with legal competence to carry out this type of activity.

With all this well designed, some procedures and tasks are quite important during the boiler inspection and maintenance process:

1. Inspection of furnace weld intersections;
2. Visual examination of the boiler's front and rear mirrors;
3. Cleaning of the electrodes of the level bottle and the boiler body;
4. Checking all electrical wiring;
5. Verification of the water supply system;
6. Checking the steam output;
7. Calibration and maintenance of all safety devices, such as: safety valve, pressure gauges, pressure switches, level controllers, chimney gas temperature indicators;
8. Maintenance of the entire electrical panel associated with the boiler;
9. Analysis of the conservation status of the boiler water piping and water treatment together with the competent professional;
10. Carrying out tests on emergency systems.

Maintenance must be periodic, with records of everything!

All of these activities are of fundamental importance in the boiler maintenance process and must be carried out periodically, as described in the boiler maintenance plan, thus ensuring the integrity of the equipment and workers.

It is also important to record the water and combustion gas temperatures, as well as the pressure achieved, on a daily basis. These records provide the information needed to maintain optimal boiler performance and to quickly diagnose problems during operation.

Therefore, avoid any problems for your company and carry out periodic and efficient maintenance on your boilers.

To learn more about all the processes related to boilers, we invite you to visit the blog MBX Machines .