As you will know, we found this winter, that we needed more work done to the boiler than we expected. Although we had expected there to be work needed on the boiler and we had provisionally booked qualified welders to come and do the work, unfortunately the work could not be completed in the time that we had hoped. This lead to us having to delay the first steaming of the year. The good news is that the welding has now ben completed.
Our next job is to fill the boiler with water and perform a pressure test. The test must take place when the water in the boiler is above 7 degrees. As you can imagine the water can be colder than this during the winter months. This meant that the boiler has to be gently warmed to raise the temperature of the water.
This is the kit that we use. Once the boiler is filled with water, all the hatches are replaced and secured, then the pressure inside the boiler is increased. We need to get it to about 70psi and then check that the pressure is maintained. Once we have done an provisional test, the boiler inspector is invited back so that he can visually check the welding, look for any further problems and then conduct his own pressure test. The pressure that we aim for during these tests is in excess of our operating pressures which is closer to 40psi. Once the boiler inspector is satisfied, he will then give us the go ahead to light the boiler and start to raise pressure. The last test is normally completed on our first steaming day and involves testing the safety valves.
We can now confirm our delayed first steaming will take place on April 7th. Please check the steaming day page or our Facebook for further details.