1. (a) New installations.

   1. (1) No boiler, except reinstalled boilers and those exempted by the Health and Safety Code, §755.022, shall be installed in this state unless it has been constructed, inspected, and stamped in conformity with the applicable section of the ASME code and registered with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, and is approved, registered, and inspected in accordance with the requirements of these rules. Cast iron sectional boilers need not be registered with the National Board.
   2. (2) A boiler having the standard stamping of another state that has adopted a standard of construction equivalent to the standard of the State of Texas, or a special-designed boiler, may be accepted by the executive director. Any person desiring to install such a boiler shall make application for the installation and shall file with this application the manufacturer's data report covering the construction of the boiler in question.
   3. (3) New boilers, including reinstalled boilers, shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of the latest revision of the applicable section of the ASME code and these rules. These boilers shall be inspected within 30 days of the owner or operator notification.
   4. (4) Secondhand boilers shall meet all the requirements for new installations, including code construction and stamping requirements.

2. (b) Existing installations.

   1. (1) The maximum allowable working pressure for standard boilers shall be determined in accordance with the applicable provisions of the edition of the ASME code under which they were constructed and stamped.
   2. (2) In no case shall the maximum allowable working pressure of an existing nonstandard boiler be increased to a greater pressure than would be allowed for a new boiler of same construction.
   3. (3) The age limit of any boiler of nonstandard construction installed prior to the date this law became effective shall be 30 years, except that after a thorough internal and external inspection and hydrostatic pressure test of one and one-half times the allowable working pressure, held for a period of at least 30 minutes, during which no distress or leakage develops, any boiler having other than a lap-riveted longitudinal joint may be continued in operation without reduction in working pressure. The age limit of any nonstandard boiler having lap-riveted longitudinal joints and operating at a pressure in excess of 50 psig shall be 20 years; this type of boiler, when removed from the existing setting, shall not be reinstalled for a pressure in excess of 15 psig; and a reasonable time for replacement shall be given at the discretion of the executive director.
   4. (4) Shipment of portable or stationary nonstandard boilers into this state for use is prohibited unless application has been made for approval as a portable or stationary nonstandard boiler used for exhibition, instruction, education, show, display, or demonstration. The request to register a portable or stationary nonstandard boiler should include a sufficient description of the materials, methods of construction, drawings, and such other design information as required by the chief inspector to establish the maximum allowable working pressure. As an alternative, the chief inspector may require a proof test of the portable or stationary nonstandard boiler in accordance with the edition of the Code determined to be most applicable for the method of construction.
   5. (5) In any case where a boiler is moved and reinstalled, the fittings and appliances must comply with the ASME code.
   6. (6) The maximum allowable working pressure on the shell of an existing steam heating boiler shall not exceed 15 psig. For a hot water heating boiler, the working pressure shall not exceed 160 psig or a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum allowable working pressure on the shell of an existing riveted heating boiler shall be determined in accordance with the National Board Inspection Code covering existing installations for riveted boilers.
3. (c) Attendance on boilers. A boiler in operation shall be under the supervision of and checked at suitable intervals by a competent attendant, regardless of whether or not it is equipped with automatic feed water regulator, fuel and damper regulator, high-and-low-water alarm, or any other form of automatic control. A competent attendant shall be a person who is familiar with the operation of the boiler and who has been properly instructed in its safe operation.

4. (d) Care of boiler room.

   1. (1) The boiler room shall be free from accumulation of rubbish and materials that obstruct access to the boiler, its setting, or firing equipment.
   2. (2) The storage of flammable material or gasoline-powered equipment in the boiler room is prohibited.
   3. (3) The roof over boilers designed for indoor installations shall be free from leaks and maintained in good condition.
   4. (4) Adequate drainage shall be provided.
   5. (5) All exit doors shall open outward. Two or more exits remote from each other should be provided.
   6. (6) It is recommended that the ASME Code, Section VI, covering recommended rules for the care and operation of heating boilers be used as a guide for proper and safe operating practices.
   7. (7) It is recommended that the ASME Code, Section VII, recommended rules for care and operation of power boilers, be used as a guide for proper and safe operating practices.

5. (e) Foundations and levels.

   1. (1) All boilers shall be kept reasonably level and must be provided with a substantial foundation such as steel, concrete, brick, or stone. The boiler mud rim or bottom of a vertical boiler setting shall not be less than six inches from the ground. The locomotive-type boiler mud rim or wet bottom shall have the foundation of its setting not less than 12 inches from the floor or ground. All boiler mud rims shall be accessible to the inspector.
   2. (2) Boilers that are not level and do not have substantial foundations may be removed from service until such provisions are provided.
   3. (3) Supports for boilers shall be masonry or structural steel of sufficient strength and rigidity to safely support the boiler. There shall be no vibration in either the boiler or its connecting piping.

6. (f) Clearance.

   1. (1) All boilers and their appurtenances shall be so located that adequate space will be provided for the proper operation, inspection, maintenance, and repair.
   2. (2) A minimum clearance of two feet shall be maintained on all sides of a boiler except portable boilers. A minimum of four feet shall be maintained between top of a boiler and roof joist. A minimum of one foot shall be maintained between the bottom of scotch-type boilers and the foundation or floor.

7. (g) Safety appliances.

   1. (1) General. No one shall remove (except temporarily for repair), fail to replace after removal, displace, damage, destroy, carry off, tamper with, or fail to use any safety appliance. When the safety appliance has been removed for repairs and the seal broken, such appliance shall not be replaced on the boiler until it is in proper working order. Such appliance shall not be set at a pressure in excess of the working pressure stated on the certificate of operation. The seal shall be replaced prior to returning the boiler to service.
   2. (2) Dismantled boiler. When a boiler is dismantled or moved, all safety appliances must conform to the requirements governing new installations prior to a return to service.

8. (h) Preparation for inspection.

   1. (1) The owner or operator shall prepare a boiler for internal inspection in the following manner.

      1. (A) Water shall be drawn off and the boiler thoroughly washed.
      2. (B) All manhole and handhole plates, washout plugs, and plugs in water column connections shall be removed as necessary for complete inspection. The furnace and combustion chambers shall be thoroughly cooled and cleaned.
      3. (C) All grates of internally fired boilers shall be removed.
      4. (D) Brickwork shall be removed as required by the inspector in order to determine the condition of the boiler, headers, furnace, supports, or other parts.
      5. (E) The pressure gage shall be removed for cleaning of the siphon and testing, if necessary.
      6. (F) The low-water cutoff device shall be dismantled, cleaned, and prepared for inspection.
      7. (G) Before removing the manhole or handhole covers and entering any part of the boiler connected to a common header with other boilers any leakage of steam or hot water shall be eliminated. The nonreturn and stop valves must be closed, tagged, and preferably padlocked, and drain valves between the two valves opened. The feedwater valves must be closed, tagged, and preferably padlocked. After draining the boiler, the blowdown valves shall be closed and preferably padlocked. Blowdown lines, where practicable, shall be disconnected between pressure parts and valves. All vent and drain lines shall be opened.
   2. (2) If the boiler is jacketed so that the seams of shells, drums, or domes cannot be seen, enough of the jacketing, setting wall, or other form of casing or housing shall be removed to permit inspection to determine the safety of the boiler, provided such information cannot be determined by other means.

   3. (3) Portable or stationary nonstandard boilers shall be prepared for inspection as described in this section with the following additional requirements.

      1. (A) External lagging and insulation shall be removed for the first inspection and at five-year intervals for subsequent inspections.
      2. (B) Ultrasonic thickness measurements or other examinations as required by the chief inspector or deputy inspector shall be performed to determine the condition of the boiler.
      3. (C) Any other inspections or examinations shall be performed as determined by the chief inspector as a condition for registration.

Source Note:The provisions of this §65.70 adopted to be effective November 15, 1989, 14 TexReg 5783; amended to be effective October 20, 1992, 17 TexReg 6896; amended to be effective April 19, 1994, 19 TexReg 2383; amended to be effective December 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 10452.