Uniformat D3020
Boiler, steam
Also called steam boiler
This is version 0.2.0. The latest is 0.3.0.
Service life
Years in service. The band runs from the shortest to the longest life the sources state, so it shows how much they disagree, not how long 80% of units last. The line is the median of the stated lives.
Basis
- 24.8 years · Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Packaged Boilers (final rule), 85 FR 1592, January 10, 2020, p43 · IV.F.7 “Lifetime: "a retirement function ... with a resulting mean lifetime of 24.8 years"” — U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (planning life)Printed page 1634. DOE applies one lifetime to every commercial packaged boiler class, which includes hot-water condensing and steam boilers. Not specific to either. Also stated on p.3 (printed 1594).
- 25 years · General depreciation rates (IR265), July 2021, p44 · BOIL “Boilers” — Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake), New Zealand (accounting life)Printed page 44. Boilers, type not stated. Asset category 'Boilers and heaters (where not industry specified)'. Printed DV 8%, SL 6%. Tax depreciation lives set by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue for New Zealand income tax, not engineering or asset-management lives; they are banded and often short (e.g. reticulation piping 25 years). The July 2021 edition was the newest PDF reachable; the online Depreciation Rate Finder may hold later determinations.
- 15.5 years · General depreciation rates (IR265), July 2021, p44 · BOIL “Boilers (packaged)” — Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake), New Zealand (accounting life)Printed page 44. Packaged boilers, hot water or steam not stated. Asset category 'Boilers and heaters (where not industry specified)'. Printed DV 13%, SL 8.5%. Tax depreciation lives set by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue for New Zealand income tax, not engineering or asset-management lives; they are banded and often short (e.g. reticulation piping 25 years). The July 2021 edition was the newest PDF reachable; the online Depreciation Rate Finder may hold later determinations.
How sources are chosen and recorded: sourcing policy.
Municipal lives for HVAC (D30)
48 municipalities in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta state a life for HVAC as a whole, in 39 distinct tables: 10–50 years, median 20. 65 rows come from capital asset policies (accounting lives, used for amortization) and 6 from asset management plans (planning lives, used to forecast replacement). They describe the system rather than this component, and none is a measured life.
Years. Each dot is one stated life and each bar a stated range; equal values stack. Hollow marks are planning lives from asset management plans; filled marks are accounting lives from policies. The dashed line is the median. Policies that copy the same table count once.
All 61 stated lives
| Municipality | As written | Years | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trent Lakes | HVAC systems | 10 | accounting | p10 · 2009 |
| Fort St. James, Revelstoke, Rossland, Sicamous, Tumbler Ridge · same table | HVAC Systems | 10–12 | accounting | p5, p9, p7, p9, p5 · 2010 |
| Okanagan-Similkameen | HVAC Systems | 10–12 | accounting | p11 · 2023 |
| Salmo | HVAC Systems | 10–12 | accounting | p6 · 2016 |
| Duncan, North Cowichan · same table | Building Other (HVAC) | 15 | accounting | p17, p9 · 2011 |
| Lantzville | HVAC | 15 | accounting | p11 · 2019 |
| Grey Highlands | Furnace | 15 | accounting | p11 · 2026 |
| Kapuskasing | HVAC Systems | 15 | accounting | p14 · 2009 |
| Sarnia | HVAC | 15 | accounting | p1 |
| The Blue Mountains | Furnace | 15 | accounting | p11 · 2019 |
| Westlock | HVAC | 15–20 | accounting | p11 · 2021 |
| Meaford | HVAC - Furnace | 15–25 | accounting | p17 · 2020 |
| Lloydminster | Permanent Structures - HVAC | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2023 |
| Lloydminster | Permanent Structures - Mechanical equipment | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2023 |
| Lloydminster | Portable Structures - HVAC | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2023 |
| Lloydminster | Portable Structures - Mechanical equipment | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2023 |
| Comox Valley | HVAC systems, mechanical, plumbing, wiring, etc. | 20 | accounting | p6 · 2010 |
| Cranbrook | HVAC, plumbing, lighting, etc | 20 | accounting | p9 · 2010 |
| Parksville | HVAC | 20 | accounting | p9 · 2023 |
| Telkwa | HVAC Systems | 20 | accounting | p8 |
| Amherstburg | Mechanical/Electrical - HVA, Lighting, Security systems, Electrical Panel | 20 | accounting | p8 · 2026 |
| Amherstburg | Arena - Air Conditioner, Brine Chillers, Compressors, Dehumidifiers | 20 | accounting | p8 · 2026 |
| Chapple | Building Improvements - HVAC Systems | 20 | accounting | p1 |
| Greater Napanee | E20 Mechanical - Boilers, Fire Panel/Alarm, Unit Heaters, HVAC | 20 | accounting | p16 · 2012 |
| Grey Highlands | HVAC | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2026 |
| Huron | Patrol Yards - Building Mechanical | 20 | planning | p42 · 2025 |
| Huron | Property Services - Building Mechanical | 20 | planning | p57 · 2025 |
| Huron | Housing - Building Mechanical | 20 | planning | p68 · 2025 |
| Huron | Homes for the Aged - Mechanical | 20 | planning | p77 · 2025 |
| Kenora | Buildings - Mechanical System | 20 | accounting | p15 · 2026 |
| London | Building Components - Services (HVAC, lighting, communication, plumbing etc.) | 20 | accounting | p2 · 2023 |
| Meaford | HVAC - Air Distribution | 20 | accounting | p17 · 2020 |
| Prince Edward | Buildings - HVAC | 20 | accounting | p34 · 2022 |
| Rainy River | Building Improvements - HVAC Systems/Generator | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2010 |
| Rainy River | Building Improvements - HVAC Systems/Generator | 20 | planning | p17 · 2026 |
| Severn | Building Components - Air Conditioner | 20 | accounting | p400 · 2019 |
| The Blue Mountains | Boiler | 20 | accounting | p11 · 2019 |
| Welland | HVAC/Electrical/Mechanical | 20 | accounting | p8 · 2021 |
| Bancroft, Centre Hastings, Hastings Highlands, Wollaston · same table | HVAC Systems | 20–25 | accounting | p5, p4, p6, p5 |
| Orillia | Facility - HVAC, Boiler | 20–25 | accounting | p19 |
| Vulcan County | HVAC (electrical, mechanical) | 20–30 | accounting | p5 · 2024 |
| Canmore | Mechanical | 25 | accounting | p10 · 2025 |
| Leduc | Mechanical Systems | 25 | accounting | p13 · 2019 |
| Duncan, North Cowichan · same table | Building Other (Electrical, Mechanical, etc.) | 25 | accounting | p17, p9 · 2011 |
| Lantzville | Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing | 25 | accounting | p11 · 2019 |
| Tofino | Systems - mechanical, electrical, HVAC | 25 | accounting | p12 · 2009 |
| Amherstburg | Arena - Refrigeration Condenser, Scoreboard, Sound System | 25 | accounting | p8 · 2026 |
| Greater Madawaska, Quinte West · same table | HVAC | 25 | accounting | p17, p38 · 2025 |
| Greater Napanee | E25 Plant Mechanical & Electrical | 25 | accounting | p16 · 2012 |
| Grey Highlands | Boiler | 25 | accounting | p11 · 2026 |
| Kingston | Mechanical Equipment | 25 | accounting | p15 · 2016 |
| Kirkland Lake | Buildings and Improvements - Mechanical/Electrical | 25 | accounting | p10 · 2020 |
| Orillia | Arena - Condenser/refrigeration, compressor, HVAC, heating units | 25 | accounting | p19 |
| Severn | Building Components - Furnace/Heating System | 25 | accounting | p400 · 2019 |
| Severn | Building Components - Condenser | 25 | accounting | p400 · 2019 |
| The Blue Mountains | HVAC System | 25 | accounting | p11 · 2019 |
| Brantford | Buildings - Mechanical | 30 | planning | p10 · 2025 |
| Greater Napanee | E30 Chillers, Rink Piping, Fuel Storage Tanks | 30 | accounting | p16 · 2012 |
| Simcoe | Mechanical | 30 | accounting | p19 · 2025 |
| Brockton | Mechanical/Electrical (Heating/Cooling System, Refridgerating System) | 40 | accounting | p2 · 2009 |
| Meaford | HVAC - System | 50 | accounting | p17 · 2020 |
Of 71 rows, 4 were compared with an image of their page; 67 were matched to their page automatically (the label and number appear in the page text). Follow the page link before relying on an automatically matched row. About the policies · All approved rows as JSON
Preventive maintenance
42 tasks in 4 work orders. Intervals that fall due together are one visit: the annual visit also covers the monthly tasks.
- 1Monthly
- 2Monthly
- 3Monthly
- 4Monthly
- 5Monthly
- 6Monthly
- 7Monthly
- 8Monthly
- 9Monthly
- 10Monthly
- 11Monthly
- 12Annual
Months from the schedule start. Daily and weekly rounds run in between. Download the tasks as CSV for a CMMS, or ask the MCP tool get_pm_schedule for dated visits.
Daily · 12 tasks
Source: Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, 9.2.12 Boiler Checklist
| Task | Page |
|---|---|
| Shut down or re-sequence boilers that are not needed | p150 |
| Do an overall visual inspection: all equipment operating and safety systems in place | p150 |
| Check steam pressure varies as expected with load | p150 |
| Check for unstable water level (sign of contaminated feedwater, overload or malfunction) | p150 |
| Check burner for proper control and cleanliness | p150 |
| Check motor condition: proper function and temperatures | p150 |
| Check boiler room air temperature stays within design limits | p150 |
| Verify bottom, surface and water column blowdowns are happening and effective | p150 |
| Keep daily boiler log: fuel used, flue gas temperature, makeup water, steam output; watch for variations | p151 |
| Check and clean or replace oil filters and strainers | p151 |
| Check oil is at proper temperature before burning | p151 |
| Confirm the boiler water treatment system is working | p151 |
Weekly · 8 tasks
Source: Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, Boiler Checklist (contd)
| Task | Page |
|---|---|
| Measure flue gas composition and temperature at selected firing positions | p151 |
| Check all relief valves for leaks | p151 |
| Test water level control: stop feedwater pump and confirm burner fuel cuts off | p151 |
| Clean pilot and burner assemblies; look for mineral or corrosion buildup | p151 |
| Stop fuel flow to check flame failure response, restart and observe flame | p151 |
| Inspect system for water or steam leaks, defective valves and traps, corroded piping, insulation | p151 |
| Inspect combustion air damper and fuel valve linkages for setting and tightness | p151 |
| Inspect boiler for air leaks; check damper seals | p151 |
Monthly · 12 tasks
Source: Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, Boiler Checklist (contd)
| Task | Page |
|---|---|
| Check blowdown is adequate to prevent solids buildup | p151 |
| Measure flue gas composition over the full firing range and compare with last month | p151 |
| Check combustion air openings to boiler room and boiler are adequate and clean | p152 |
| Check fuel system pressure gauge, pumps, filters and transfer lines; clean filters | p152 |
| Check belt tension and packing glands for leakage | p152 |
| Check for air leaks around access openings and flame scanner | p152 |
| Check blower belts for tightness and slippage | p152 |
| Check gaskets seal tightly; replace if not | p152 |
| Inspect boiler insulation and casing for hot spots | p152 |
| Calibrate steam control valves per manufacturer | p152 |
| Check pressure reducing/regulating valves operate properly | p152 |
| Test boiler water quality for chemical balance | p152 |
Annual · 10 tasks
Source: Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency, Release 3.0, Boiler Checklist (contd)
| Task | Page |
|---|---|
| Clean water-side surfaces per manufacturer | p152 |
| Clean fire-side surfaces per manufacturer | p152 |
| Inspect and repair fire-side refractories | p152 |
| Remove and recondition or replace relief valve | p152 |
| Clean and recondition feedwater pumps, condensate receivers and deaerator | p152 |
| Clean and recondition fuel system pumps, filters, pilot, oil preheaters, oil tanks | p152 |
| Clean electrical terminals; check electronic controls and replace defective parts | p152 |
| Check and repair hydraulic and pneumatic valves | p152 |
| Adjust for optimal flue gas composition; record composition, firing position, temperature | p152 |
| Eddy current test tubes for wall thickness, as required | p152 |
Frequencies are ISO 8601 durations in the data (P3M = every 3 months).
Open questions
- Every source here is a published planning, design or accounting life. None is observed replacement data.
Know the answer? Send it with a source to [email protected].
Cite this
Citation
unfinished.one (2026). Boiler, steam, v0.2.0. https://unfinished.one/c/boiler-steam/v/0.2.0BibTeX
@misc{unfinished_boiler_steam_0_2_0,
title = {Boiler, steam},
author = {{unfinished.one}},
year = {2026},
version = {0.2.0},
url = {https://unfinished.one/c/boiler-steam/v/0.2.0},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}Licence CC BY 4.0 · How to cite · JSON · Versions: 0.3.0, 0.2.0, 0.1.0