major biomass boiler maintenance - calderdale council

Leo Group Ltd EnMS Major Biomass Boiler Maintenance

EnMS D14

Written by: Richard Keighley

Version 2 Release May 2018

Major Biomass Boiler Maintenance To be conducted on selected boilers between June – August each year.

• Swalesmoor 2

• Swalesmoor 1

• Pule Hill Farm

• Kedzlie farm

• Ravenswood

Part of the ISO 50001 system at Halifax

To conduct the service special PPE must be worn to protect against the boiler ash dust.

Boiler Suit PPE

Welders gauntlet gloves

FFP3 respirator (half face or disposable).

Optional: Safety harness with connecting rope and lanyards.


EnMS D14



https://www.arco.co.uk/products/1258800?s=1

https://www.arco.co.uk/products/1700900?s=1&BV_SessionID=@@@@0050972056.1526045802

@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadhfileifikcflgcefkdfggdfnn.0

Safety Wear

for when there is only one person trained & competent enough to go inside the boiler. I.e. there is

not an option of a second person entering the boiler pull the first person out in event of an

emergency situation as per Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 & 2014 amendment.

Full body harness

One person has to go inside the boiler confined space, hence it is recommended that person wears a

safety harness connected to a rope that can be pulled from the outside. The boilers are 5.3m long.

https://www.arco.co.uk/products/1258800?s=1

https://www.arco.co.uk/products/1700900?s=1&BV_SessionID=@@@@0050972056.1526045802@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadhfileifikcflgcefkdfggdfnn.0

https://www.arco.co.uk/products/1700900?s=1&BV_SessionID=@@@@0050972056.1526045802@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadhfileifikcflgcefkdfggdfnn.0


EnMS D14



Essential Ash Removal Tools

Curved edge Plastering Trowels to scrape the walls and flat trowels to scrape the bed.

Hard brisle brush to scrape the walls, with hand pan to scoop the ash.

LED work light with stand to be placed within the boiler chamber. No halogen lights (too hot). Try

and get a light with 2+metre lead. 30w bulb is sufficiently bright.

Numatic NDT 2003 Industrial vacuum. To suck the ash out of the combustion chamber & chimney.

Please take car in brushing of the ash from the filter, do not bang it or the fabric will rip and

remember the filter will not protect the twin motors against wet material, so dry debris only.

This vacuum is stationed at Swalesmoor, Halifax: Shed 4 and is available on request.


EnMS D14



Maintenance Task

Scope

Is to clean the internal part of the boiler, the combustion chamber floor and upper walls which is

part of the shell boiler, plus the soot built up in the lower part of the chimney.

2 days before the Maintenance Task

It is recommended the boiler has 1.5 -2 days to cool down in advance. You cannot go inside the

boiler if the internal temperature reads 40+C on the heizomatt screen – this is safety consideration

for working in confined spaces.

You need to press the red button twice to turn off the fans for boiler cool down.

The Author recommends to undertake a manual de-ash of the boiler, which will push the end of

grate hot embers along the grate into the bin conveyors system. For the wood that is on fire that

will be pushed to the middle and end of grate to isolate it from spreading. The aim is for the fire to

burn out and both front and back doors are left open to let the heat out.


EnMS D14



When cooling the boiler for the first TWO Hours, it is recommended you leave the outside

doors open to let any Carbon Monoxide flow out of the boiler and out into the

atmosphere.

On the Day of the Maintenance Task

You need TWO Persons present at the boiler. One to go inside the boiler and the other to supervise

for safety reasons. BY LAW there is a Mandatory requirement TWO PERSONs are present for this

confined space task.

Before starting both persons need to be wearing respirators, as the room will fill with PM10, a type

of fine dust with is hazardous to breathe in. Please check that the respirator is forming a firm seal on

the face.

You need to do a full PPE check and ensure the safety harness if used is put on correctly and lanyard

rope connections are secure.

There is only one entry point to the boiler, the back door and you need to speak amongst yourself

about the actions you will take in case someone needs to be pulled out and first aid treated. This

will mean ensuring a 3rd person can be near the boiler and available quickly.

Also turn on the heizomat screen to ensure the boiler temperature is below 40 C to safely enter.

Using the Numatic NTD 2003 Vacuum

Handles clip-off to disconnect the top motors from the white filter.

This filter will get very dirty when vacuuming the back-end door section of the boiler (where the

finer grey & brown ash accumulates).

You will need to take the filter out and clean it numerous times. Do not bang the

filter, it will rip and then the motors cannot be protected. Please use a hand-brush to

clean the filter. A replacement filter costs £140.00


EnMS D14



1st Maintenance Step

Set up the lighting, enter the boiler back door hands first.

Move to the front end of the boiler and working back on yourself, which will pull swept ash towards

the ash bin.


EnMS D14



Starting at the front use the trowel to scrape off ash deposits on the heat exchangers.

The square flat trowel works best to pull the ash back of the grate. Remember this 1st job is to

dislodge the ash, the vacuum will be able to fully remove the ash.


EnMS D14



When you get the to the back end, it is possible to stand up and get your tools into the holes of the

hot air heat pass to chimney.

Using the vacuum extensions

You can use the extension pieces, although we have found the suction is most effective when just 1-

2 pieces are used, which the operator still inside the boiler.


EnMS D14



Pictures of the vacuum being used to hoover up the back end of boiler. The side grates can be lifted

up.

Take the end boiler grates out and give them a good brushing down.


EnMS D14



These are picture at the back end of the boiler, where the hot air pass tubes are for the boiler. You

can get your hoover into some of them.

Example of clean boilers. You can see the ash conveyor chain is visible. The chain should not be

slack, otherwise you will have to cut a linkage out and re-weld old linkages together.


EnMS D14



Remember to open up the back end hatches to hoover them. You can put the boiler in manual

deash and register clean, which push ash from both the boiler tubes and grates.

Remember the front of the boiler will need its front ash boxe emptying, bring a bucket, dust pane

and shovel to this. And wear your respirator.

It is also important to check the screws have sufficient grease on their nipples/access points


EnMS D14



Plus ensure the chain system at the front has white grease spray into the holes. Take the casing off

if the engineer feels its necessary.

Cleaning out the chimney will need a bin underneath. Just un-tighten the connector end and wear

PPE!


EnMS D14



Ladder access will be needed to get into the chimney side port.

And finally please take pictures of yourselves cleaning the boiler!

As we are required by Ofgem to keep evidence of boiler maintenance, so taking a picture is easier

than a filling out a form!

END

Contact Emily Smith for PPE and items [email protected] 01422 353325

Contact Richard Keighley for technical support [email protected] 07785621015

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

major biomass boiler maintenance - calderdale council

Documents