The Care and Management of Stationary Engine Boilers

The first thing to do in taking charge of a stationary engine boiler is to know from personal inspection that the safety fittings and the boiler-feeding apparatus are in good order.

The safety valve is the first thing to inspect, as it is liable to stick in its seat, especially in cases in which it is set at a greater pressure than is got up in the boiler, because in that case it is not lifted from the seat and in time sticks fast there.

In such cases it is proper to lift the valve at least once a day while steam is on. For this purpose a cord may be attached to the lever, passing over a pulley directly above the lever, and thence to some convenient place near the boiler, but where it is not liable to get caught and pulled accidentally.

Before lighting the fire, see that there is sufficient water in the boiler. If there is a gauge glass on the boiler, it should show three-quarters full, or three-quarters of a glass, as it is called.

The gauge glass may show a false water level, and to be sure that such is not the case, open the top gauge cock and the cock at the bottom of the gauge glass, letting the water run through the gauge glass. Open and close the cock below the gauge glass two or three times to see that the water comes to the same level each time.

If the steam pressure has been allowed to fall in the boiler without any of the cocks being opened, there will be a partial vacuum in the boiler, and air must be let in before the true water level will be shown either by the gauge glass or by the gauge cocks.

Opening the upper gauge cock will let in the air, and it should not be closed again until enough steam has been got up in the boiler to expel the air again, or in other words, until steam begins to issue from it.

The grate bars and ash pit should be cleaned of clinker, ashes, etc., and it should be seen that the tubes are clear of ashes, etc., before the fire is laid; if the grate is a shaking one, the lever should be applied to see that the grate will shake properly.

To light the Fire—In the case of anthracite or hard coal, as it is sometimes termed, first cover the bars with a thin layer of coal and then put in pieces of lighted greasy waste (if it is at hand) distributed about the furnace, taking especial care to light the fire at the fire-door end and in the corners, because the fire will spread from the front end towards the back easier than it will from the back end towards the front.

The fire should light from the bottom and not from the top, hence the thinnest pieces of the wood should be put in first.

If there is any soft coal at hand, a small quantity of it will accelerate lighting the fire, as it burns easier and quicker than hard coal.

Before putting on the coal the wood should be well lighted, the bottom portion of it having ceased flaming.

This causes the lighted wood to spread over the bars and the fire to light evenly.

Charge the coal lightly, first covering the places that have burned up the most.

Firing.—The fire door should be kept open as little as possible, as it admits cold air that is detrimental to the combustion, as well as to the draught, hence firing should be done quickly.

A good fireman will maintain as even a temperature as possible in the fire box by charging the coal lightly and quickly.

Some firemen will, after the fire is at its proper depth all over the grates, charge the fire in the front end, that is, at the fire-door end, and push it back as it burns up, to keep up the thickness of the fire at the back.

The thickness of the fire depends upon the size and kind of coal.

With small coal a fire from 4 to 6 inches deep will answer, while, if the lumps are five or six inches in diameter, a fire from a foot to 15 inches deep may be maintained, as is done in some locomotives.

The object is to have the fire thick enough to prevent it from burning through in spots or letting cold draughts of air pass through it.

The sides of the furnace require particular attention, not only because cold air is more likely to get through there, but also in boilers having fire boxes the cool sides of the box keep the temperature of the fuel down, hence a thicker fire is necessary around the sides than in the middle of the furnace or fire box.

Three things are to be considered in cleaning a fire—first, that the boiler pressure will fall during, and for a short time after, the cleaning; second, that the depth of fire will be diminished by the cleaning; and third, that the temperature of the fire will fall during the cleaning.