Free checklist
Boiler feed and condensate unit quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly condensate unit round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
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.
Receiver and level
Receiver water level and float switch operating
Water level in the receiver sitting in the normal band on the gauge glass, float switch or level control starting and stopping the pump at the right points, no continuous overflow at the vent or overflow connection.
Makeup water valve feeding only on demand
Float-operated makeup valve holding closed at normal level and opening only as level drops, not feeding continuously, no city water running steadily into the receiver.
Makeup line backflow protection and test record checked
Backflow preventer or air gap on the city makeup line in place, and the latest test by a certified backflow tester on record with the owner.
No photoCondensate temperature read against the pump rating
Receiver or return temperature read by thermometer or IR gun and compared with the pump's rated maximum on its nameplate or data sheet, since hot condensate flashes and cavitates the pump.
Receiver vent open and not blowing a steady plume
Vent pipe clear and ending where flash vapor does no harm, only a light wisp showing, a steady plume reported to the owner as steam blowing through upstream.
Overflow line ending at a drain with an air gap
Overflow piped to a floor drain or receptor with an air gap, not hard-piped to the sewer or dumping on the floor, and no fresh water stain showing recent overflow.
Pumps and check valves
Pump seal and connections dry
Mechanical seal essentially dry, no product tracking down the shaft, flanges and piping connections free of weeping, no rust trail or puddle under the unit.
Pump running quiet and check valve holding
Feed pump running without cavitation or unusual noise when it stages, discharge check valve holding so the boiler does not backfeed the receiver and the pump does not spin backward on stop.
Discharge pressure read with the pump running
Where a discharge gauge is fitted, pressure read while the pump runs and compared with the nameplate duty or last quarter's reading; a drop points at a worn impeller or steam binding.
No photoLead pump alternating on a duplex unit
Where the unit is duplex, the alternator swaps the lead between pumps and both run-hour meters or counters advance, with neither pump left off in hand.
No photo
Strainer, controls and alarm
Strainer and controls checked
Strainer ahead of the pump not loaded, controls in auto rather than left in hand from a past call, pump cycling with the boiler's demand as intended.
Low-water and alarm devices present and set
Low-level cutout and any alarm or pump-fault annunciation in place and not bypassed, no standing alarm on the panel.
Hot surfaces and records
Receiver and hot piping insulated or guarded
Receiver, return piping and pump casing insulated or guarded where people pass, a hot-surface warning in place, and readings taken without bare-hand contact.
Quarterly readings and makeup use logged
Condensate temperature, any discharge pressure and any makeup meter reading logged, so rising makeup use flags lost condensate to the owner.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Receiver riding high and dumping condensate out the overflow visit after visit, blamed on 'too much return' when the float switch or makeup valve is actually stuck.
- A feed pump seal weeping a steady drip onto the receiver top and rusting the tank and motor, called normal because the unit still pumps.
- Makeup water valve stuck feeding, so the receiver stays topped from the city side and nobody sees the steam loss until the water bill or the treatment does.
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this boiler feed and condensate unit quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 4 sections, covering receiver and level, pumps and check valves, strainer, controls and alarm, hot surfaces and records. 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 or mechanical tech on the quarterly boiler-room round while the heating system is under load.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter through the heating season, walked with the boiler so a flooding receiver or a makeup valve stuck open is caught before it carries over into the boiler or dumps water to the floor.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 10 of the 14 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 quarterly inspection?
- Receiver riding high and dumping condensate out the overflow visit after visit, blamed on 'too much return' when the float switch or makeup valve is actually stuck. A feed pump seal weeping a steady drip onto the receiver top and rusting the tank and motor, called normal because the unit still pumps. Makeup water valve stuck feeding, so the receiver stays topped from the city side and nobody sees the steam loss until the water bill or the treatment does.
- 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.
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.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.