Basic Boiler Terminology

Question 1

A boiler which will start and stop without human help once a
start-up is initiated is termed
a) semi-automatic
b) self regulating
c) automatic
d) modulating controlled unit
e) packaged

Answer 1

c) automatic

Question 2

The maximum energy input to a hot water supply boiler is

a) 454 L per minute
b) 58.7 kW
c) 20,000 BTU
d) 127 Imperial gallons per minute
e) 587 kW

Answer 2

b) 58.7 kW

Question 3

For horizontal firetube boilers, the lowest visible water
level in the gage glass is set not less than \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ above
the highest point of the tubes.
a) 2 inches
b) 3 inches
c) 50 mm
d) 1 inch
e) 25 mm

Answer 3

b) 3 inches

Question 4

A low pressure steam boiler is one which operates

a) at an energy input above 58.7 kW
b) above 103 kPa
c) above 121 degrees C
d) above 1100 kPa
e) at or below 103 kPa

Answer 4

e) at or below 103 kPa

Question 5

A device used on smaller heating boilers to measure water
"head" or height is the
a) gage glass
b) header
c) pressure gage
d) siphon
e) altitude gage

Answer 5

e) altitude gage

Question 6

An example of a boiler fitting would be a

a) temperature controller
b) forced draft fan
c) combustion chamber
d) drum
e) sootblower

Answer 6

a) temperature controller

Question 7

An induced draft fan handles

a) air from the combustion process
b) air going to the combustion process
c) flue gases going to the combustion process
d) flue gases from the combustion process
e) fuel gases from the combustion process

Answer 7

d) flue gases from the combustion process

Question 8

The lowest permissible water level of a power boiler is

a) 25 mm below the lowest visible water line
b) 50 mm below the lowest visible water line
c) 25 mm above the fireline
d) 50 mm below the fireline
e) 76 mm below the visible water line

Answer 8

b) 50 mm below the lowest visible water line

Question 9

A device which must be replaced each time it performs its
function is the
a) low water fuel cut-off
b) high steam pressure limiting control
c) safety valve
d) blowoff valve
e) rupture disk

Answer 9

e) rupture disk

Question 10

On older boilers the brickwork which tended to surround the
furnace was termed
a) the boiler firebox
b) refractory
c) the setting of the boiler
d) the boiler casing
e) the windbox

Answer 10

c) the setting of the boiler

Question 11

A device which usually uses air or steam to do its job is the

a) siphon
b) operating control
c) burner
d) sootblower
e) try cock

Answer 11

d) sootblower

Question 12

A boiler component which surrounds the burner of most boilers
is the
a) waterleg
b) stack
c) uptake
d) windbox
e) refractory

Answer 12

d) windbox

Question 13

The low water cut-off is a device fitted to the boiler to
shut the
a) feed water supply off, if the fuel supply is too low
b) feed water supply off, if the steam pressure becomes
too high
c) feedwater supply off, if the boiler temperature becomes
too high
d) fuel valve off if the water level becomes too high
e) fuel valve off if the water level becomes too low

Answer 13

e) fuel valve off if the water level becomes too low

Question 14

Manholes are openings through which a person can

a) enter the boiler furnace
b) inspect the boiler uptake
c) enter the boiler shell or drum
d) enter and inspect the steam header
e) enter the ash hopper

Answer 14

c) enter the boiler shell or drum

Question 15

A furnace baffle is

a) used to prevent the fire from striking the tubes
b) installed to direct the hot flue gases
c) used to prevent the water from surging
d) used to deflect the flame
e) installed to prevent carryover

Answer 15

b) installed to direct the hot flue gases

Question 16

The windbox of a boiler is
a) where the fuel and air are mixed for combustion
b) what the forced draft fan is installed into
c) the collector of the exhaust gases before they go into
the uptake
d) the ductwork surrounding the burners on the outside of
the boiler into which the air for the burners is
introduced
e) always maintained under a negative pressure

Answer 16

d) the ductwork surrounding the burners on the outside of
the boiler into which the air for the burners is
introduced

Question 17

A check valve
a) allows flow in one direction only
b) regulates the flow of feedwater to the boiler
c) is used to isolate the steam gage
d) is not considered a fitting
e) will “pop” open when pressure inside the drum reaches a
set point

Answer 17

a) allows flow in one direction only

Question 18

A steam gage

a) indicates the level of water in a boiler
b) is not considered a boiler fitting
c) indicates the internal pressure of the boiler
d) is required on power boilers only
e) will reset once the boiler pressure has dropped

Answer 18

c) indicates the internal pressure of the boiler