Safe boiler and gas equipment

The majority of boiler incidents occur at the beginning of the heating season or during thaws, when control over the condition of heating systems installed in cottages, residential buildings, as well as in small rural shops, pharmacies, and other premises, is relaxed.

At night, the thermometer can drop significantly below zero, which can lead to partial freezing of pipelines and expansion tanks. They freeze most often in attic spaces if they are not insulated or poorly insulated. Water stops circulating, which sharply increases pressure in the boiler and can lead to an explosion. A large volume of steam released into the room where the boiler is installed increases the overall pressure in the room, resulting in the destruction of the building's load-bearing structures. People suffer injuries of varying severity and steam burns.

To prevent boiler explosions, it is recommended to:

• Ensure that the shut-off systems on the supply and return pipelines to the boiler are open, as well as all shut-off devices installed on the heating system.
• Drain condensate from the lower pocket of the chimney for boilers operating with natural draft.
• Inspect the chimney caps and ensure they are not frozen or blocked. If defects in chimneys and ventilation ducts are found, the use of such equipment is prohibited.
• Before igniting the boiler, open the heating system's make-up line and the expansion tank's control fill line. Water flowing from the control line indicates that the heating system has not frozen. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the pressure on the manometer installed on the boiler does not increase.
• If water does not flow from the expansion tank's control fill line, and the pressure on the boiler, as indicated by the manometer installed on it, increases and reaches the water supply network pressure, this indicates that the heating system has frozen. In this case, igniting the boiler is strictly prohibited. It is necessary to identify the freezing point of the heating system (usually the connection point of the expansion tank to the heating system), thaw it, and only then, when water flows from the control line (with the make-up line open), can the boiler be gradually ignited. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly monitor the pressure on the boiler using the manometer installed on it. If the pressure on the boiler begins to approach the maximum permissible according to the device's passport, it is necessary to urgently stop firing and remove all fuel from the boiler.

When thawing boilers in attic spaces, do not use open flames – this can lead to a fire. Thawing can be done with hot water, sand, or special pipe thawing devices.

Gas appliances:

Remember that the use of household gas appliances and devices not intended for space heating is not permitted. For example, some individuals use gas stoves with burning burners to heat premises. The stove is not designed for this! An open flame burns oxygen in the room, and there is not enough for the burners to operate normally. Due to a lack of oxygen, gas does not burn completely, resulting in the formation of carbon monoxide. Being in a room where the air contains 0.2% carbon monoxide for 1 hour is harmful to health, and at 0.5% carbon monoxide, being in the room for 5 minutes is life-threatening.

It is forbidden to use gas equipment or other heat-generating units and devices with faulty chimneys and ventilation ducts. Facts of faulty chimneys and unauthorizedly installed gas appliances must be reported to gas supply organizations!

In case of fire, call the rescue service at 101 or 112.