South Carolina Code of Regulations, Subarticle 4, Section 71-9104 - General Requirements | South Carolina Code of Regulations

A. GR-1 Inspection of Boilers

All boilers not exempted by the Act or by rules and regulations promulgated under the Act and which are subject to regular inspections shall be prepared for such inspections as required in GR-2.

B. GR-2 Preparation for Inspection

The owner or user shall prepare each boiler for inspection, and shall prepare for and apply a hydrostatic or pressure test, whenever necessary, on the date arranged by the inspector which shall not be less than seven (7) days after the date of notification.

1. Boilers - the owner or user shall prepare a boiler for internal inspection in the following manner:

a. Water shall be drawn off and the boiler washed thoroughly;

b. Manhole and hand hole plates, washout plugs, and inspection plugs in water column connections shall be removed as required by the inspector. The furnace and combustion chambers shall be cooled and thoroughly cleaned;

c. All grates of internally fired boilers shall be removed if required by the inspector;

d. Insulation or brickwork shall be removed as required by the inspector in order to determine the condition of the boiler, headers, furnace, supports, or other parts;

e. The pressure gauge shall be removed for testing as required by the inspector;

f. Any leakage of steam or hot water into the boiler shall be prevented by disconnecting the pipe or valve at the most convenient point or any appropriate means approved by the inspector; and

g. Before opening the manhole or hand hole covers and entering any parts of the steam-generating unit connected to a common header with other boilers, the non return and steam stop valves must be closed, tagged, and padlocked, and drain valves or cocks between the two valves opened. The feed valves must be closed, tagged, and padlocked, and drain valves or cocks located between the two valves opened. After draining the boiler, the blow off valves shall be closed, tagged, and padlocked. Blow off lines, where practicable, shall be disconnected between pressure parts and valves. All drains and vent lines shall be opened.

C. GR-3 Boilers Improperly Prepared for Inspection

If a boiler has not been properly prepared for an internal inspection, or if the owner or user fails to comply with the requirements for a pressure test as set forth in these rules, the inspector may decline to make the inspection or test.

D. GR-4 Removal of Covering to Permit Inspection

If, upon an external inspection, there is evidence of a leak or crack, sufficient covering of the boiler shall be removed to permit the inspector to satisfactorily determine the safety of the boiler.

E. GR-5 Lap Seam Crack

The shell or drum of a boiler (in which a lap seam crack is discovered along a longitudinal riveted joint) shall be immediately discontinued from use. Patching is prohibited. (Lap seam crack refers to a crack found in lap seams extending parallel to the longitudinal joint, and located either between or adjacent to rivet holes.)

F. GR-6 Pressure Test

1. A pressure test, when applied to boilers, need not exceed the maximum allowable working pressure or the setting of the lowest set safety valves. The pressure shall be under proper control so that in no case shall the required test pressure be exceeded. During a pressure test the safety valve or valves shall be removed or each valve disk shall be held to its seat by means of a testing clamp and not by screwing down the compression screw upon the spring. A plug device designed for this purpose may be used.

2. It is suggested that the minimum metal temperatures during a pressure test shall be not less than 70°F, and that the maximum metal temperature during inspection shall not exceed 120°F.

3. When a pressure test is applied to determine tightness, the pressure shall be equal to the normal operating pressure but need not exceed the release pressure of the safety valve having the lowest release setting.

4. When the contents of the vessel prohibit contamination by any other medium or when a water pressure test is not possible, other testing media may be used providing the precautionary requirements of the applicable section of the ASME Code are followed. In such cases, there shall be agreement between the owner and the inspector.

G. GR-7 Automatic Low-Water Fuel Cutoff and/or Water Feeding Device

1. Each automatically fired steam or vapor system boiler shall be equipped with an automatic low-water fuel cutoff so located as to automatically cut off the fuel supply when the surface of the water falls to the lowest safe waterline. If a water-feeding device is installed, it shall be so constructed that the water inlet valve cannot feed water into the boiler through the float chamber and so located as to supply requisite feed water. The lowest safe waterline should not be lower than the lowest visible part of the water glass.

2. Hot water heating boilers shall be equipped with a Low Water Fuel Cutoff with a manual reset function.

3. Such fuel or feed water control devices may be attached directly to a boiler or for low pressure boilers, to the tapped openings provided for attaching a water glass directly to a boiler, provided that such connections from the boiler are nonferrous tees or Ys not less than 1/2 in. pipe size between the boiler and the water glass, so that the water glass is attached directly and as close as possible to the boiler; the straightway tapping of the Y or tee to take the water glass fittings, the side outlet of the Y or tee to take the fuel cutoff or water-feeding device. The ends of all nipples shall be reamed to full size diameter.

4. Designs embodying a float and float bowl shall have a vertical straightaway valve drain pipe at the lowest point in the water equalizing pipe connections by which the bowl and the equalizing pipe can be flushed and the device tested.

H. GR-8 Pressure Reducing Valves

1. Where pressure-reducing valves are used, one or more safety or safety relief valves shall be provided on the low-pressure side of the reducing valve when the piping or equipment on the low-pressure side does not meet the requirements for the full initial pressure. The safety or safety relief valves shall be located adjoining or as close as possible to the reducing valve. Proper protection shall be provided to prevent injury or damage caused by the escaping fluid from the discharge of safety or safety relief valves if vented to the atmosphere. The combined discharge capacity of the safety or safety relief valves shall be such that the pressure rating of the lower pressure piping or equipment shall not be exceeded in case the reducing valve fails in the open position.

2. The use of hand-controlled bypasses around reducing valves is permissible. If a bypass is used around the reduction valve, the safety valve required on the low pressure side shall be of sufficient capacity to relieve all the fluid that can pass through the bypass without over-pressuring the low-pressure side.

3. A pressure gauge shall be installed on the low-pressure side of a reducing valve.

I. GR-9 Boiler Blow Off Equipment

1. The blow down from a boiler or boilers that enters a sanitary sewer system or blow down, which is considered a hazard to life or property, shall pass through some form of blow off equipment that will reduce pressure and temperature as required hereinafter.

2. The temperature of the water leaving the blow off equipment shall not exceed 140°F.

3. The pressure of the blow down leaving any type of blow off equipment shall not exceed 5 psig.

4. All blow off equipment shall be fitted with openings to facilitate cleaning and inspection.

5. Blow off equipment shall conform to the provisions set forth in the recommended rules for Sizing Blow Off Vessels, 2004 Edition.

J. GR-10 Location of Discharge Piping Outlets

The discharge of safety valves, blow off pipes, and other outlets shall be located and supported as to prevent injury to personnel.

K. GR-11 Supports

Each boiler shall be supported by masonry or structural supports of sufficient strength and rigidity to safely support the boiler and its contents. There shall be no excessive vibration in either the boiler or its connecting piping.

L. GR-12 Boiler Door Latches

1. A water tube boiler shall have the firing doors of the inward opening type, unless such doors are provided with substantial and effective latching or fastening devices or otherwise so constructed as to prevent them, when closed, from being blown open by pressure on the furnace side.

2. These latches or fastenings shall be of the positive self-locking type. Friction contacts, latches, or bolts actuated by springs shall not be used. The foregoing requirements for latches or fastenings shall not apply to coal openings of downdraft or similar furnaces.

3. All other doors, except explosion doors, not used in the firing of the boiler, may be provided with bolts or fastenings in lieu of self-locking latching devices.

4. Explosion doors, if used and if located in the setting walls within 7 ft. of the firing floor or operating platform, shall be provided with substantial deflectors to divert the blast.

M. GR-13 Clearance

When boilers are replaced or new boilers are installed in either existing or new buildings, a minimum height of at least 3 ft. shall be provided between the top of the boiler proper and the ceiling, and at least 3 ft. between all sides of the boiler and adjacent walls or other structures. Boilers and pressure vessels having manholes shall have 5 ft. clearance from the manhole opening and any wall, ceiling or piping that will prevent a person from entering the boiler or vessel. All boilers shall be so located that adequate space will be provided for the proper operation of the boilers and their appurtenances, for the inspection of all surfaces, tubes, water walls, economizers, piping, valves and other equipment, and for their necessary maintenance and repair and replacement of tubes.

N. GR-14 Ladders and Runways

When necessary for safety, there shall be a steel runway or platform of standard construction installed across the tops of adjacent boilers or at some other convenient level for the purpose of affording safe access. All walkways shall have at least two means of exit, each to be remotely located from the other.

O. GR-15 Exit from Boiler Room

All boiler rooms exceeding a 500 sq. ft. floor area and containing one or more boilers having a fuel-burning capacity of 1,000,000 BTU, or equivalent electrical heat input, shall have at least two means of exit. Each exit shall be remotely located from the other. Each elevation in such boiler room shall have two means of exit, each remotely located from the other.

P. GR-16 Suggestions for Operations

It is suggested that the Recommended Rules for Care of Power Boilers, Section VII, and the Recommended Rules for Care and Operation of Heating Boilers, Section VI, of the ASME Code be used as a guide for proper and safe operating practices.

Q. GR-17 Air and Ventilation Requirements - Combustion Air Supply and Ventilation of Boiler Room

A permanent source of outside air shall be provided for each boiler room to permit satisfactory combustion of the fuel as well as proper ventilation of the boiler room under normal operating conditions.

1. The total requirements of all burners for all fired pressure vessels and air compressors or other air-consuming equipment in the boiler room must be used to determine the net louvered area in square feet:

INPUT BTU/HOUR	REQUIRED AIR MIN. CU/FT/MIN.	NET LOUVERED AREA, SQ. FT.
500,000	T125	1.0
1,000,000	250	1.0
2,000,000	500	1.6
3,000,000	750	2.5
4,000,000	1,000	3.3
5,000,000	1,250	4.1
6,000,000	1,500	5.0
7,000,000	1,750	5.8
8,000,000	2,000	6.6
9,000,000	2,250	7.5
10,000,000	2,500	8.3

2. When mechanical ventilation is in lieu of paragraph (A), the supply of combustion and ventilation air to the boiler room and the firing device will not operate with the fan off. The velocity of the air through the ventilating fan shall not exceed 500 feet per minute and the total air delivered shall be equal to or greater than shown in paragraph (1) above.

R. GR-18 Gas Burners

For installations, which are gas fired, the burners used shall conform to the applicable requirements of nationally recognized standards.

S. GR-19 Conditions Not Covered by These Rules and Regulations

For any conditions not covered by these requirements, the applicable provisions of the ASME Code, the National Board Inspection Code, or the American Petroleum Institute Pressure Vessel Inspection Code shall apply.

South Carolina Code of RegulationsChapter 71 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION-DIVISION OF LABORArticle 9 - BOILER SAFETY PROGRAMSubarticle 4 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTSSection 71-9104 - General Requirements

South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 71 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION-DIVISION OF LABOR
Article 9 - BOILER SAFETY PROGRAM
Subarticle 4 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Section 71-9104 - General Requirements