Boiler inspection.

[6t7gto]

I own a self serve car wash with 2 boilers.
My floor heat boiler is 511K BTU.
I leave the fill plug on the expansion tank off.
When I built this place 25 years ago,
the company that sold me all the equipment told me to leave it off. This way I would not need the boiler certificate/inspection.
I have a 2nd 627K BTU boiler.
This heats the city provided water and it has a 115 gallon storage tank.
My insurance company sent someone out to do a loss control survey.
One of his recommendations is to have the boilers inspected and certified annually.
I spoke to one company and they said only if I was over a million BTU. I assume they meant individually not total for two boilers.
I am located in Ohio.
Anyone know the requirements I need to follow?
I ask the inspector from the insurance company if he ever did a car wash before and he said no.
I have had the same insurance for many years and never had this loss control survey before.
Thx
David

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I don’t know the actual requirements but anything that you have that’s not on the radar keep it that way. It’s just a money grab. Some of our washes are inspected and some are not. I believe it was just how the permits were pulled as to whether or not we got on their list. The state would send someone out annually but now our insurance company sends a company out instead. All he does is check the btu rating on the psi relief, pops it to see if it reseals, and documents if you have “stuff” stacked on top or in front of the boiler. He takes pictures of that stuff too where as the state guy did not. Then you get a bill which is what it’s really all about. See you again next year.

 

[sparkey]

I live in ohio. I have a 199k btu boiler that I used to have state inspected. I vented it per the inspectors recommendation. He came in and verified it was vented and I never had to have it inspected again.

 

[Jeff_L]

Every state and city may be different. Only the boilers at one of my washes gets inspected annually. It’s not a health check or anything, just a way to get $ for the agency involved. They don’t tell me to do this or that for it.

I had heard anything under 200K btu isn’t considered a boiler and doesn’t have to be inspected.

Next inspection I will remove the plugs on top of my floor heater tanks to see if that will save me $ on the inspection.

 

[toddmullens]

I have experienced the same thing. Only two out of our ten locations receive a boiler inspection from the state. Anything over 199,999 btu and they also hit me on the air compressor. It’s just another way they nickel and dime a person.

 

[6t7gto]

I have spoken with the company that does my annual backflow test. $100.00 for that 5 minute test.
He holds a Class A boiler license. Again $100.00 for the inspection. I don't know if that is for both boilers or for each one.
He is contacting the State about my requirements.
I have searched the State website and it looks like the forms are for one boiler.
Thanks for the replies.
David

p.s. I did find something mentioning over 199,999 btu needing annual inspection.
But I don't meet the pressure or temperature specs.

 

[Kevin James]

It’s a money grab, we got popped a few years ago by a state boiler inspector who was washing his car and heard the air compressor kick on, a few days later we got a nasty letter in the mail for not being in compliance with the pressure tank inspection requirements. They wanted us to get the tank pressured tested by a certified testing company. We ended up buying a new air compressor, it was less expensive than having old one certified. Just like the backflow testing, we used to get a post card every year stating we had to get our backflow unit tested, that went on for a few years. The guy who ran the program for the city retired and now we don’t get a post card and we don’t have our backflow tested, it probably been 5 years since it was last tested. Just another money grab.

 

[cap732000]

I’m in Oklahoma not Ohio but I agree on money grab. When I bought a location with a boiler it was going under radar never inspected. I started having issue with it and asking questions about it opened a can of worms as soon as it was on radar there was a boiler. I ended ripping it out because of its age it’s effecient rating was so bad and put in instant tankless gas bill plummeted and big brother not in my car wash for a check every year.

 

[6t7gto]

Cap.
what is the btu rating of your tankless unit?
thx
david

 

[cap732000]

I would have to look but I did each bay on a individual unit went with eccotemp units called directly the manufacture and got a great deal they have been really good units. When I get home I look at specs.

 

[6t7gto]

Thx for the reply.
Do you have floor heat?

 

[OurTown]

We are in Ohio and have two boilers. One 627k for floor heat non-pressurized, no state tag, and no inspection. The other is a 399k that is tagged and is used for hot water to bays. We just bought the place August 2017 and in June 2018 paid the fee for a state inspection. Nobody came to inspect but they took our money. We shall see what happens this year. There are a bunch of old stickers from previous year's inspections but are from a private company. It must have been for insurance purposes.

 

[cap732000]

No I do not have floor heat. And very good point on insurance purposes never did think of that aspect.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I have my insurance company’s inspector come out to check my boilers and compressors.
No cost to me and I’d rather have them check it out more thoroughly.
Their the ones that would have to pay if something major happens.