Steam:
Its Generation and Use

>J4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>p CARE OF BOILERS. The following rules are compiled from those issued by various Boiler Insurance Companies in this country and Europe, supplemented by our own experience. They are applicable to all boilers, except as otherwise noted. ATTENTION NECESSARY TO SECURE SAFETY. [Though the Babcock & Wilcox boilers are not liable to destructive explosion, the same care should be exercised to avoid possible damage to boiler, and expensive delays.] 1. Safety Valves.—Great care should be ex- ercised to see that these valves are ample in size and in working order. Overloading or neglect frequently lead to the most disastrous results. Safety valves should be tried at least once every- day to see that they will act freely. 2. Pressure Gauge.—The steam gauge should stand at zero when the pressure is off, and it should show same pressure as the safety valve when that is blowing off. If not, then one is wrong, and the gauge should be tested by one known to be correct. 3. Water Level.—The first duty of an engi- neer before starting, or at the beginning of his watch, is to see that the water is at the proper height. Do not rely on glass gauges, floats or water alarms, but try the gauge cocks. If they do not agree with water gauge, learn the cause and correct it. Water level in Babcock & Wil- cox boilers should be at centre of drum, which is usually at middle gauge. It should not be carried above t 4. Gauge Cocks and Water Gauges must be kept clean. Water gauge should be blown out frequently, and the glasses and passages to gauge kept clean. The Manchester, Eng., Boiler Asso- ciation attribute more accidents to inattention to water gauges, than to all other causes put together. 5. Feed Pump or Injector.—These should be kept in perfect order, and be of ample size. No make of pump can be expected tobe continuously reliable without regular and careful attention. It is always safe to have two means of feeding a boiler. Check valves, and self-acting feed valves should be frequently examined and cleaned. Satisfy yourself frequently that the valve is acting when the feed pump is at work. 6. Low Water.—In case of low water, im- mediately cover the fire with ashes (wet if possi- ble) or any earth that may be at hand. If noth- ing else is handy use fresh coal. Draw fire as soon as it can be done without increasing the heat. Neither turn on the feed, start or stop engine, or lift safety valve until fires are out, and the boiler cooled down. 7. Blisters and Cracks.—These are liable to occur in the best plate iron. When the first in- dication appears there must be no delay in hav- ing it carefully examined and properly cared for. 8. Fusible Plugs, when used, must be ex- amined when the boiler is cleaned, and carefully scraped clean on both the water and fire sides, or they are liable not to act. ATTENTION NECESSARY TO SECURE ECONOMY. 9. Firing.—Fire evenly and regularly, a little at a time. Moderately thick fires are most eco- nomical, but thin firing must be used where the draught is poor. Take care to keep grates evenly covered, and allow no air-holes in the fire. Do not “clean” fires oftener than necessary. With bituminous coal, a “coking fire,” i. e. firing in front and shoving back when coked, gives best results, if properly managed. 10. Cleaning.—All heating surfaces must be kept clean outside and in, or there will be a serious waste of fuel. The frequency of cleaning will depend on the nature of fuel and water. As a rule, never allow over inch scale or soot to collect on surfaces between cleanings. Hand- holes should be frequently removed and surfaces examined, particularly in case of a new boiler, until proper intervals have been established by experience. The Babcock & Wilcox boiler is provided with extra facilities for cleaning, and with a little care can be kept up to its maximum efficiency, where tubulars or locomotive boilers would be quickly destroyed. For inspection, remove the hand- holes at both ends of the tubes, and by holding a lamp at one end and looking in at the other, the condition of the surface can be fully seen. Push the scraper through the tube to remove sed- iment, or if the scale is hard use the chipping scraper made for that purpose. Water through a hose will facilitate the operation. In replacing hand-hole caps, clean the surfaces without scratch- ing or bruising, smear with oil, and screw up tight. Examine mud-drum and remove the sediment therefrom. The exterior of tubes can be kept clean by the use of blowing pipe and hose through open- ings provided for that purpose. In using smoky fuel, it is best to occasionally brush the surfaces when steam is off. 11. Hot Feed Water.—Cold water should never be fed into any boiler when it can be avoid- ed, but when necessary it should be caused to *--------------------------------* 78