SchoolHouse Plant Operation & Maintenance Resource Center

Gas Piping & Fuel Burning Equipment

About this section

This section contains general information regarding leak detection, hazards of combustion, and general safety information. For additional information regarding piping, valves and combustion safety, you may want to refer to the following text.

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
Althouse, Turnquist, Bracciano. Goodheart Wilcox, Inc. 1975

Safety Rules Governing Natural Gas Equipment

In recent years many natural gas appliances have been installed in school buildings, such as stoves, ovens, pressure cookers, hot water heaters, and boiler burner units. All gas fired equipment with standing pilots are equipped with safety devices that have integral design to prevent the continued flow of gas if there is a flame or pilot failure.

Engineers are to observe the following safety precautions before relighting any natural gas pilot:

• If the natural gas pilot is out, make certain the unit and area is thoroughly purged to eliminate possible gas accumulation
• Read and follow all available manufacture's instructions.
• Inspect for gas leaks by applying a soap solution to pipe fittings and unions. DO NOT ATTEMPT to locate gas leaks with a match.
• Be alert for excessive drafts, such as open windows, negative pressures, and adjacent air handling equipment that may cause gas pilot failure.
• Hands, arms or face should never be subjected to a possible "flashback".
• Repeated gas pilot failures are to be investigated, and the source of the problem eliminated.
• Serious and painful accidents can be avoided by establishing the necessary precautions, as presented in this bulletin.

Gases of Combustion-Hazards

When a fossil fuel media such as oil, natural gas, or gasoline is subjected to conditions involving proper amounts of air and heat, they pass through the process of combustion releasing energy and hazardous gases. One of the gases considered as hazardous is Carbon Monoxide (CO). Engineers must train and instruct staff under their jurisdiction in the following safety and health standards.

• Incinerator and boiler combustion doors must be closed when equipment is fired.
• Hot water heaters must be properly vented.
• Fresh air intakes for boilers and incinerators must remain open during normal operations.
• Boiler room doors and windows leading to the school building must remain closed at all times.
• Boiler and furnace settings must be periodically inspected to ensure a secure operation.
• Delivery truck drivers must not back vehicles up to school doors, leave engines running, or obstruct exit doors.
• Fresh air intakes at buildings with intakes at shoulder height, must not allow vehicular traffic near the air intake shaft.
• Automobiles on school property should be parked in designated areas only.

School principals and operating personnel should discuss these concerns and determine how their school is self-rated with safety standards presented in this article. All violations or practices that are noted must be corrected immediately.

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