What does this boiler feed and condensate unit annual checklist cover?

15 items across 5 sections, covering shutdown and lockout, receiver interior, pumps, check valves and strainer, controls, alarm and cutout, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.

Who should run this inspection?

The boiler service tech on the annual, with the unit taken down and drained so the receiver interior and the pumps can be opened.

When in the schedule should this walk happen?

Once a year, ideally at end of heating season, the pass that drains the receiver to inspect the tank interior and pulls the pumps and check valves the quarterly can only watch from outside.

Why do these items ask for a photo?

9 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.

What most often fails a boiler feed and condensate unit annual inspection?

Receiver never drained and opened, so sediment and scale build in the bottom and pit the tank until it leaks, with the first warning being water on the boiler-room floor. Check valve seat cut so the pump backfeeds on stop and the receiver hunts, chased for a season as a float problem until the valve is finally pulled. Low-water cutout and alarm assumed good and never tested, so a real low-level or pump failure carries over dry into the boiler instead of tripping.

Can I use this checklist in RTI?

Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Free checklist

Boiler feed and condensate unit annual maintenance checklist

The annual condensate unit service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

Start free with this checklist Download as PDF

The checklist

Every item, and the photo evidence it needs

The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.

Shutdown and lockout

Boiler operator and owner agree the feed outage window
Boiler down or on an alternate feed before the unit comes out of service, since a boiler left firing without feed water trips on low water or worse.
No photo
Every pump motor and control circuit locked and tagged
Each pump and the control and alarm circuit locked out by each worker, proven dead. Runs use the temporary release: closed up, filled, people clear, locks off by whoever hung them, re-locked after.
Returns, makeup and discharge isolated and receiver cooled
Return, makeup and pump discharge valves closed, receiver let cool, then drained to a safe drain with hands and face clear of hot water and flash steam.
No photo

Receiver interior

Receiver drained and inspected internally
Tank drained and opened, interior checked for sediment, scale and corrosion or pitting, cleaned out, vent and overflow connections proven clear.
Receiver cover gasket checked on closing
Manway or inspection cover seat wiped clean, gasket renewed where flattened or torn, cover drawn down in a cross pattern to the maker's torque, no weep at the joint after refill.

Pumps, check valves and strainer

Feed pumps and check valves serviced
Each pump run and current read against nameplate, seals inspected or replaced on run hours, discharge check valves pulled and their seats and discs inspected or replaced so they hold against backfeed.
Impeller and casing inspected for cavitation erosion
With a pump opened, impeller vanes and casing checked for the pitting hot condensate leaves when it flashes at the eye, read against the quarterly temperature log.
Strainer and makeup valve cleaned and serviced
Strainer basket pulled and cleaned, float-operated makeup valve inspected and its seat verified holding, isolation valves operable.
Discharge piping to the boiler feed connection checked
Discharge line from each pump to the boiler or deaerator supported, free of water hammer damage and leaks, with its isolation valves operable.
Receiver closed, refilled and locks removed for testing
Covers, pumps and strainer closed up, valves reopened and the receiver refilled, tools and people clear, then locks removed by whoever hung them.
No photo

Controls, alarm and cutout

Level control, low-water cutout and alarm tested
Float or probe level control tested through its range, low-water cutout proven to stop the feed and any boiler interlock, alarm and pump-fault annunciation functionally tested rather than assumed.
High-level alarm proven by raising the receiver level
Where a high-level alarm is fitted, the operator or monitoring that sees it told first, then level raised with makeup water, hands out of the receiver, until it alarms, then drawn down.
No photo
Controls returned to auto and unit proven in operation
Unit refilled and run through a full cycle with the boiler, level staging and makeup behaving, controls left in auto with no hand overrides and no standing alarm.

Handover and records

Boiler operator told the feed unit is back in service
Boiler operator and owner told the unit is in auto and feeding, so the boiler can go back on line from its alternate feed or cold start.
No photo
Annual findings filed with the boiler-room record
Receiver interior condition, pump currents, check valve, gasket and alarm results filed with the owner, and deferred repairs listed with a date.
No photo

What usually sends this back

The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work

Receiver never drained and opened, so sediment and scale build in the bottom and pit the tank until it leaks, with the first warning being water on the boiler-room floor.
Check valve seat cut so the pump backfeeds on stop and the receiver hunts, chased for a season as a float problem until the valve is finally pulled.
Low-water cutout and alarm assumed good and never tested, so a real low-level or pump failure carries over dry into the boiler instead of tripping.

Common questions

6 answers

What does this boiler feed and condensate unit annual checklist cover?: 15 items across 5 sections, covering shutdown and lockout, receiver interior, pumps, check valves and strainer, controls, alarm and cutout, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
Who should run this inspection?: The boiler service tech on the annual, with the unit taken down and drained so the receiver interior and the pumps can be opened.
When in the schedule should this walk happen?: Once a year, ideally at end of heating season, the pass that drains the receiver to inspect the tank interior and pulls the pumps and check valves the quarterly can only watch from outside.
Why do these items ask for a photo?: 9 of the 15 items call for photo evidence, 12 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
What most often fails a boiler feed and condensate unit annual inspection?: Receiver never drained and opened, so sediment and scale build in the bottom and pit the tank until it leaks, with the first warning being water on the boiler-room floor. Check valve seat cut so the pump backfeeds on stop and the receiver hunts, chased for a season as a float problem until the valve is finally pulled. Low-water cutout and alarm assumed good and never tested, so a real low-level or pump failure carries over dry into the boiler instead of tripping.
Can I use this checklist in RTI?: Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.

Related checklists

Boiler feed and condensate unit QuarterlyBoiler feed and condensate unit quarterly maintenance checklistReceiver level, float, pump seal, check valve and makeup water checked on the quarterly boiler-room round14 items12 photos

Run it with the Photo Gate

A checklist nobody can submit half-finished

Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 12 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.