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Severe Weather Alert
Flood Recovery Alert:
Equipment Protection Action Steps
The Risk Does Not Recede with the Water
If your business equipment, boilers, electrical equipment and
systems, or machinery have been exposed to
flood waters, you risk their loss even when the water level has
dropped. Equipment and machinery may have water, silt or other
contaminants within them. Your equipment could be damaged or
destroyed if you attempt to start or test it without adequate
cleaning and preparation for operation. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPERATE
OR TEST YOUR EQUIPMENT WITHOUT PROPERLY RESTORING IT. Even when
your equipment's exterior appears normal, residual moisture and
contaminants can lead to permanent damage and extend the
interruption of your operations.
Dry and Clean Before Using
The following steps will help you
prepare your equipment for operation. Most actions involve
careful draining, drying, cleaning or lubricating of equipment
before attempting to start or energize it. Taking these simple
precautions can help you avoid a major equipment failure and
restore operations sooner.
Boilers: Do Not Operate
Until Inspected and Tested
- Carefully inspect foundations and settings
of boilers for settlement. DO NOT OPERATE a boiler if
there is any evidence of undermining of the foundation.
- Make sure the setting is thoroughly dry.
- All safety appliances, such as safety and
relief valves, steam gauge, water column, high- and
low-water cut-offs, and blow-down valves must be cleaned
and repaired as needed.
- All controls must be inspected and tested
before operation, especially the water-level control and
low-water fuel cut-off.
- Burners should not be fired until checked
by a burner technician. A furnace explosion may occur if
the combustion controls do not function properly.
- Boilers should not be operated if proper
feedwater is not available. If operation is essential,
and if feedwater contains mud, it will be necessary to
blow down the boiler every eight hours and to open and
clean it once a week until proper water quality is
reestablished.
Electrical Equipment:
Keep It Turned off Until Dried and Cleaned
- DO NOT ENERGIZE equipment that has been
flooded until it has been properly cleaned, dried out,
and until its insulation has been tested. This includes
enclosures, bus ducts, conduit, and cables.
- Windings in electrical machinery should
not be dried at temperatures exceeding the rating of the
insulation system. In general, a maximum temperature of
194ºF or 90ºC may be used. If possible, check with the
manufacturer for information and recommendations.
- Dry-type transformers should be cleaned
and dried as prescribed for machinery windings.
- Oil-filled transformers should be
thoroughly inspected and oil samples should be drawn for
lab analysis. The laboratory should be requested to
include a Karl Fisher test for water content. The maximum
permissible water content is 35 ppm.
Machinery: Drain, Clean
and Lubricate Before Testing
- Contact the manufacturer, if possible, for
recommendations.
- Inspect foundations for cracking,
weakness, or settlement. If settlement is suspected,
check alignment of all shafting, as well as coupled
connections.
- Inspect all machine internals for silt
accumulation and clean as needed.
- Drain and clean lubrication systems. Wipe
oil-containing elements with lint-free rags and refill
with new lubricants as required.
- Open the cylinders of all reciprocating
machines and remove foreign material or water.
- Carefully clean and TEST governors and
controls.
These instructions are a general guide and are
not intended to supplant information or instructions from the
equipment manufacturer. For complete information on your
particular equipment consult with the manufacturer or its service
representative.

Tuesday,
October 28, 1997
© The
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. All
rights reserved.