The Importance of a Boiler Maintenance Plan

by Joshua T. Bell

Let’s face it. The events of life rarely go according to plan. But sometimes they go completely sideways and you find yourself in the news—and not in a good “Hi, Mom” kind of way. A lack of boiler maintenance leads to boiler failure and a massive system failure is a catastrophic event. You have been warned.

Wreckage from massive boiler failure at a citrus processing facility as a result of negligent boiler maintenance.

Your Boiler is Both Asset and Liability

Boilers play a central role in many operations driving successful businesses, facilities, and industries. Boiler applications are extremely broad ranging including applications for heating & sterilization, propulsion & drive, motive, atomization, cleaning, moisturization, and humidification.  Unfortunately, in many cases, they are under appreciated, unnoticed and given insufficient attention or maintenance; that is until the moment they stop working.

When not maintained properly, a boiler very quickly changes from powerhouse asset to powerhouse liability—a very dangerous piece of equipment that is capable of causing considerable property damage and possible loss of life.

When Boilers Fail

Take for instance the following incident that occured in September of 2014 at a Lakeland, FL citrus processing facility that neglected routine boiler maintenance, refused service requests and ignored multiple warnings, resulting in massive system failure.  Massive like an exploding 60,000-pound boiler tank sent flying through an industrial wall and eventually coming to rest on nearby railroad tracks. What does a massive boiler failure and PR nightmare look like?  Well, it looks exactly like this:

Shocking? Yes. Unnerving? Without question. Unfortunate? Absolutely considering the entire incident could have been avoided. Thankfully, no one was injured by the explosion.

Boiler Failure is Avoidable with Proper Boiler Maintenance

Worried this will happen to your facility? Perhaps you should be more concerned about your boiler room, however, fear not. There are many pieces of safety equipment on a boiler that minimize the risk of incidents and a properly maintained boiler room will keep your facility running safely and efficiently.  The skillful professionals at Keller Mechanical & Engineering will help your team properly understand these critical systems involved in successful boiler operation and will lay out a maintenance plan to ensure stable, efficient, and safe operation of your equipment for years to come.

Contact The Boiler Experts at Keller

When it is time to expand or replace you can safely and confidently rely on Keller’s experience and expertise to carry you through equipment transition with minimal inconvenience or downtime.

Are you unsure about the status of your boiler system? Contact the boiler experts at Keller. Our team will conduct an exhaustive system analysis implement a comprehensive plan for maintenance, contingencies and eventualities.  Give us a call: 863-686-0947