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ASOPE Boiler Operator Cheat Sheet

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Boiler Types and Construction

  • Not published of exam
  • Boiler Types Code Pressure Limits Drums + Heat Recovery BHP Conversions Refractory + Insulation Boiler Type Picker Firetube vs Watertube

Combustion, Fuels and Burners

  • Not published of exam
  • Combustion Air + Excess Air Flue Gas Readings Fuel Heating Values Burners + Draft Three T's Flue Gas Trim

Fittings, Valves and Controls

  • Not published of exam
  • Safety Valve Rules Low-Water Cutoff Tests Gauge Glass + Water Column Valves + Fittings Burner Management Timings Dangerous Condition Response Safety Valve vs Relief Valve

Water, Steam and Treatment

  • Not published of exam
  • Feedwater Chemistry Limits Blowdown + Cycles Steam Table Basics Water Treatment Equipment Water Problem Picker Scale vs Corrosion

Operation, Inspection and Licensing

  • Not published of exam
  • ASOPE License Facts Codes + Standards Electrical Basics Plant Safety + LOTO Which Code Applies CSD-1 vs NFPA 85

Quick Facts

  • Exam ASOPE Third Class
  • Format 50 multiple-choice questions
  • Time 3 hours
  • First Class time 4 hours
  • Pass 70 percent minimum
  • Fee $45 per attempt
  • Renewal $38 each year
  • Rules Closed book, formula sheet
  • Calculator Non-programmable only
  • Retest waits 30, 90, 120 days
  • Third Class scope 500 BHP LP, 500 tons
  • Weights Not published

Boiler Horsepower CO

  • 1 BHP = 34.5 lb/hr = 33,475 Btu/hr
  • From and at 212F About 9.8 kW Not shaft horsepower

Firetube vs Watertube CO

Firetube

  • Gas inside tubes
  • Large water volume
  • Slower load response

Watertube

  • Water inside tubes
  • Small water volume
  • Higher pressure, faster steaming
  • Gas inside vs water inside

Boiler Type Picker CO

  • Steam above 15 psig → Section I power boiler
  • Steam at 15 psig → Section IV heating boiler
  • Water 160 psig, 250F → Section IV hot water
  • High pressure, fast steaming → Watertube design
  • Steady load, more water → Firetube design
  • High temperature, low pressure → Thermal fluid heater
  • Full of water, circulated → Hydronic boiler
  • Compact packaged unit → Scotch marine firetube

Boiler Types CO

  • Firetube Gas inside, water outside
  • Watertube Water inside, gas outside
  • Scotch marine Packaged firetube, 2-4 passes
  • Steam boiler Waterline with steam space
  • Hydronic boiler Runs completely full
  • Thermal fluid heater Hot oil, low pressure
  • Electric boiler Elements or electrodes
  • Cast iron sectional Bolted low-pressure heating sections

Power vs Heating Boiler CO

Power boiler

  • Above 15 psig steam
  • ASME Section I
  • S stamp

Heating boiler

  • 15 psig steam maximum
  • ASME Section IV
  • H stamp
  • 15 psig draws the line

Code Pressure Limits CO

  • Section IV steam 15 psig maximum Heating
  • Section IV water 160 psig, 250F maximum
  • Section I steam Above 15 psig Power
  • MAWP Maximum allowable working pressure
  • S stamp Section I power boiler
  • H stamp Section IV heating boiler
  • M and E stamps Miniature and electric boilers
  • V and HV stamps Section I, Section IV valves
  • Heating surface Fire-side area, square feet
  • Over 500 sq ft Two valves, two feeds

Drums + Heat Recovery CO

  • Steam drum Holds waterline, separates steam
  • Mud drum Collects sludge, bottom blowdown
  • Downcomer Cooler water descends
  • Riser Steam and water ascend
  • Economizer Flue gas preheats feedwater
  • Superheater Adds heat above saturation
  • Air preheater Warms incoming combustion air
  • Furnace Where the fuel burns

BHP Conversions CO

  • 1 BHP heat 33,475 Btu per hour
  • 1 BHP steam 34.5 lb per hour
  • 1 BHP power About 9.8 kW
  • 1 ton cooling 12,000 Btu per hour
  • 1 kW 3,412 Btu per hour
  • 1 horsepower 746 watts
  • 1 gallon water 8.33 pounds
  • 1 cubic foot water 62.4 pounds, 7.48 gallons
  • 1 psi head 2.31 feet of water
  • Atmospheric pressure 14.7 psi, 29.92 inHg

Refractory + Insulation CO

  • Refractory Heat-resistant furnace lining
  • Castable Poured cement-like refractory
  • Plastic refractory Rammed into place
  • Insulating firebrick Light, low conductivity
  • Spalling Cracking from thermal shock
  • Dry-out Slow controlled first heat-up
  • Hot spot Failed lining, hot casing
  • Lagging Outer insulation jacket

Three T's CO

  • Time, Temperature, Turbulence make complete combustion
  • Time: residence Temperature: ignition Turbulence: mixing Miss one: carbon monoxide

Combustion Air + Excess Air CO

  • Three T's Time, temperature, turbulence
  • Stoichiometric air Exact theoretical air
  • Excess air Air beyond theoretical
  • Gas excess air About 10-15 percent
  • Too little air Carbon monoxide, smoke, soot
  • Too much air Heat lost up stack
  • Complete combustion Carbon dioxide, water vapor
  • Incomplete combustion CO, soot, unburned hydrocarbons

Flue Gas Trim CO

  • Lowest oxygen that still shows zero CO
  • Oxygen up: air up CO present: air short Never trim into CO

Flue Gas Readings CO

  • Oxygen rising Excess air climbing
  • Carbon dioxide falling Excess air climbing
  • Any carbon monoxide Air starved, dangerous
  • Trim target Lowest oxygen, zero CO
  • High stack temperature Fouling or excess air
  • Smoke spot Poor oil atomization
  • Draft gauge Inches of water column
  • Oxygen trim Automatic excess air control

Fuel Heating Values CO

  • Natural gas About 1,000 Btu cubic foot
  • Propane About 2,500 Btu cubic foot
  • No. 2 oil About 140,000 Btu gallon
  • No. 6 oil About 150,000 Btu gallon
  • Bituminous coal About 12,000 Btu pound
  • Flash point Vapors ignite momentarily
  • Pour point Lowest temperature oil flows
  • Viscosity Resistance to flow
  • Heavy oil preheat Needed for proper atomization

Burners + Draft CO

  • Atomizing burner Steam or air shears
  • Pressure-atomizing burner Pump pressure, narrow turndown
  • Turndown ratio Maximum to minimum firing
  • Air register Directs and swirls air
  • Natural draft Stack effect only
  • Forced draft Fan pushes air in
  • Induced draft Fan pulls gas out
  • Balanced draft Both fans, slight vacuum

Low Water Response SA

  • Secure fuel, never feed, cool, then inspect
  • Fuel off first No cold water Cool slowly Inspect before restart

Safety Valve vs Relief Valve SA

Safety valve

  • Steam service
  • Pops fully open
  • Steam heating boilers

Relief valve

  • Liquid service
  • Opens gradually
  • Hot water boilers
  • Steam pops, liquid creeps

Dangerous Condition Response SA

  • No water in glass → Secure fuel now ( Never feed water )
  • Level unproven or doubtful → Blow down the glass ( Try cocks confirm )
  • Pressure above high limit → Secure fuel, check controls
  • Safety valve lifting → Cut firing, find cause
  • Flame failure lockout → Purge before relight ( Never bypass )
  • Repeated lockouts → Stop, call service ( Never jumper interlocks )
  • Tube leak suspected → Controlled shutdown, cool slowly
  • Water hammer in line → Close valve, drain condensate
  • Priming into steam line → Lower level, blow down
  • Smoke or furnace puff → Secure fuel, purge fully
  • Fuel gas odor → Secure fuel, ventilate, evacuate

Safety Valve Rules SA

  • Safety valve Steam, pops full open
  • Relief valve Liquid, opens gradually
  • Safety relief valve Built for either service
  • Lowest set pressure At or below MAWP
  • Accumulation limit 6 percent over MAWP
  • Shutoff valve ban None before or after
  • Discharge piping Safe point, drained low
  • Try lever test Proves valve still free
  • Valve blowdown Pop minus reseat pressure

Cold Startup Order SA

  • Water, vent open, low fire, vent closed
  • Check level first Vent until steady steam Fire at low rate Heat metal slowly

Operating vs High-Limit Control SA

Operating control

  • Cycles the burner
  • Automatic reset
  • Normal setpoint

High-limit control

  • Backup trip only
  • Manual reset
  • Set above operating
  • Auto reset vs manual

Low-Water Cutoff Tests SA

  • Low-water fuel cutoff Stops burner on low
  • Float type Float switch in chamber
  • Probe type Conductivity through the water
  • Blowdown test Flush float chamber routinely
  • Slow drain test Lower level, watch trip
  • Annual service Dismantle and inspect internals
  • Auxiliary cutoff Second, manual reset device
  • Top accident cause Low water, poor maintenance

Feed Line Order SA

  • Pump, check valve, stop valve, boiler
  • Check stops backflow Stop nearest boiler Service check under pressure

Gauge Glass + Water Column SA

  • Gauge glass Shows actual water level
  • Blow down glass At least once per shift
  • Fast return Connections clear, level true
  • Slow or no return Plugged line, false level
  • False high level Classic dry-fire setup
  • Two glasses Above 400 psi MAWP
  • Remote indicators May replace one glass
  • Try cocks Independent check on level
  • Water column Chamber holding level devices

Valves + Fittings SA

  • Gate valve Fully open or closed
  • Globe valve Throttles, flow under seat
  • Check valve Prevents reverse flow
  • Feed line order Pump, check, stop, boiler
  • Two stop valves Shared header requirement
  • Free-blow drain Proves outboard valve holding
  • Steam trap Drains condensate, holds steam
  • Nonreturn valve Automatic stop-check on header

Burner Management Timings SA

  • Flame failure response 4 seconds maximum
  • NFPA 85 valve closure Within 1 second
  • CSD-1 valve closure Within 5 seconds
  • CSD-1 purge At least 4 air changes
  • NFPA 85 purge 8 watertube, 4 firetube
  • Purge airflow 70 percent full-load minimum
  • Post-purge Clears fuel after shutdown
  • Interlock string Wired in series
  • Operating control Automatic reset, cycles burner
  • High-limit control Manual reset backup trip

Priming vs Carryover WA

Priming

  • Sudden water slugs
  • High level or surge
  • Mechanical cause

Carryover

  • Any water leaving
  • Includes foaming
  • Umbrella term
  • Priming is one carryover

Water Problem Picker WA

  • Hard white deposits → Scale, soften feedwater
  • Pits and tubercles → Oxygen corrosion, deaerate
  • Rusty water in glass → Acid corrosion, raise pH
  • Grooved condensate pipe bottom → Carbonic acid, dealkalize
  • Stable foam on surface → High solids, blow down
  • Water slugs into header → Priming, lower level
  • TDS climbing steadily → Increase surface blowdown
  • Sludge in mud drum → Bottom blowdown

Feedwater Chemistry Limits WA

  • Boiler water pH Maintain about 11 NB-410
  • Condensate pH 7.5 to 8.5 NB-410
  • Carbonic acid pH 6.9 down to 4.4
  • TDS rule of thumb About 1,000 ppm maximum
  • Hardness Dissolved calcium and magnesium
  • Oxygen at 70F About 8.6 ppm
  • Oxygen at 150F About 4.3 ppm
  • Oxygen at 212F About zero ppm
  • Deaerator outlet About 0.005 cc per liter
  • Oxygen scavenger Sodium sulfite catches traces

Scale vs Corrosion WA

Scale

  • Hardness deposits
  • Insulates and overheats
  • Fix by softening

Corrosion

  • Oxygen and acid
  • Pits and tubercles
  • Fix by deaerating
  • Deposit adds, corrosion removes

Blowdown + Cycles WA

  • Bottom blowdown Short dump, clears sludge
  • Surface blowdown Continuous, controls dissolved solids
  • Cycles of concentration Boiler TDS over feedwater
  • 200 ppm feedwater Five cycles reaches 1,000
  • 25 ppm feedwater Forty cycles reaches 1,000
  • Blowdown percent 100 divided by cycles
  • Excess blowdown Wastes heat and chemicals
  • Blowdown tank Cools and vents discharge

Bottom vs Continuous Blowdown WA

Bottom blowdown

  • Short intermittent dump
  • Lowest point or drum
  • Removes settled sludge

Continuous blowdown

  • Steady surface draw
  • Just below waterline
  • Controls dissolved solids
  • Sludge below, solids surface

Steam Table Basics WA

  • Sensible heat Changes temperature only
  • Latent heat Changes state only
  • 32F to 212F 180 Btu per pound
  • Latent at 212F About 970 Btu pound
  • Total heat 0 psig About 1,150 Btu pound
  • Saturation 15 psig About 250F
  • Saturation 100 psig About 338F
  • Saturation 150 psig About 366F
  • Steam expansion About 1,600 times volume
  • Superheat Heat above saturation temperature

Water Treatment Equipment WA

  • Zeolite softener Swaps hardness for sodium
  • Brine regeneration Restores resin exchange capacity
  • Dealkalizer Cuts alkalinity, carbon dioxide
  • Reverse osmosis Membrane strips dissolved solids
  • Deaerator Heats and vents gases
  • Feedwater tank Stores condensate and makeup
  • Chemical feed pump Doses treatment continuously
  • Condensate return Cuts makeup and fuel

CSD-1 vs NFPA 85 LI

CSD-1

  • Below 12.5 MMBtu input
  • Automatically fired boilers
  • 4 air changes purge

NFPA 85

  • 12.5 MMBtu and above
  • Larger fired units
  • 8 air changes, watertube
  • Fuel input picks code

Which Code Applies LI

  • Power boiler construction → ASME Section I
  • Heating boiler construction → ASME Section IV
  • Auto-fired below 12.5 MMBtu → ASME CSD-1
  • 12.5 MMBtu and above → NFPA 85
  • Inservice repair or alteration → NBIC
  • Worker safety in plant → OSHA general industry
  • License to operate → ASOPE or local board

Codes + Standards LI

  • ASME Section I Power boiler construction
  • ASME Section IV Heating boiler construction
  • ASME CSD-1 Auto-fired below 12.5 MMBtu
  • NFPA 85 12.5 MMBtu input and above
  • NBIC Inservice inspection and repair
  • NBIC parts Installation, inspection, repairs, valves
  • OSHA General industry safety
  • Jurisdiction State or city board

ASOPE License Facts LI

  • Third Class scope 500 BHP low pressure, 500 tons
  • Exam length 50 multiple-choice questions
  • Third Class time 3 hours
  • First Class time 4 hours
  • Pass mark 70 percent minimum
  • Exam fee $45 per attempt
  • Annual renewal $38 per year
  • Age and school 18, diploma or GED
  • Training required 6 months or 3 credits
  • Retest waits 30, 90, 120 days
  • Result reported Pass or fail only
  • Curriculum list 19 minimum topics published

Electrical Basics LI

  • Ohm's law Volts equal amps times ohms
  • Current Volts divided by ohms
  • Power Watts equal volts times amps
  • Series circuit One path, all close
  • Parallel circuit Many paths, same voltage
  • Interlock string Any open contact trips
  • Motor starter Contactor plus overload relay
  • Fuse or breaker Protects conductors from overload

Plant Safety + LOTO LI

  • Lockout/tagout Isolate, lock, tag, verify
  • Energy sources Fuel, electric, steam, feedwater
  • Personal lock Only the owner removes
  • Confined space Permit required for drums
  • Blanking Blind off connected lines
  • Atmosphere test Oxygen, flammables, toxics
  • Attendant Outside with rescue means
  • PPE Gloves, glasses, hearing protection

Common Traps

Safety valve vs relief valve

  • Safety pops on steam ≠ Relief creeps on liquid

Section I vs Section IV

  • Section I above 15 psig ≠ Section IV 15 psig maximum

Bottom vs surface blowdown

  • Bottom clears settled sludge ≠ Surface controls dissolved solids

Priming vs foaming

  • Priming is level surge ≠ Foaming is dissolved solids

Never feed a dry boiler

  • Cold water cracks metal ≠ Secure fuel and cool

CSD-1 vs NFPA 85

  • CSD-1 below 12.5 MMBtu ≠ NFPA 85 at 12.5 up

Boiler horsepower is not shaft

  • BHP is 33,475 Btu ≠ Shaft hp is 2,545 Btu

Scale is not corrosion

  • Scale insulates and overheats ≠ Corrosion pits and thins

Gate valve never throttles

  • Gate: open or closed ≠ Globe: throttles the flow

Last Minute

  • 1. Section IV steam: 15 psig
  • 2. Section IV water: 160 psig, 250F
  • 3. Section I: above 15 psig
  • 4. Over 500 sq ft: two valves
  • 5. Accumulation: never over 6 percent
  • 6. Two gauge glasses above 400 psi
  • 7. Flame failure 4 seconds, close 1
  • 8. Purge: 70 percent airflow minimum
  • 9. 1 BHP = 34.5 lb, 33,475 Btu
  • 10. Low water: secure fuel, never feed
  • 11. Boiler water pH 11; condensate 7.5-8.5
  • 12. TDS rule of thumb: 1,000 ppm
  • 13. CSD-1 below 12.5 MMBtu; NFPA above
  • 14. ASOPE: 50 questions, 70 percent
  • 15. Third Class: 500 BHP, 500 tons
  • 16. Retest: 30, 90, 120 days

ASOPE Boiler Operator

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