City of Chicago Boiler Practice Exam

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• What is the primary purpose of a low-water cutoff on a boiler?
• Oxygen and other noncondensable gases are separated from the feedwater ___.
• When required, an accumulation test is used for relieving capacity testing on the boiler; which option best describes this test?
• The determination of how often to perform blowdown is most accurately guided by which test?
• The water column and gauge glass should usually be blown down ___.
• The ratio of heat supplied in fuel to heat absorbed by water is defined as which efficiency?
• In a boiler system, natural draft is produced by which condition?
• Higher cycles of concentration raise efficiency but increase risk of which issues?
• Which boiler type is most likely to explode due to the large volume of water?
• Which organization approves safety valve connections?
• If the ASME code allows an automatic nonreturn valve to be used as a main steam stop valve, how must it be installed?
• When removing lockout tags after maintenance, what must be verified?
• Which condition is most likely to occur if boiler water chemistry is not properly controlled under high cycles?
• If a quick-opening valve is used as a bottom blowdown valve, it must be located ___.
• If it is necessary to test the relieving capacity of a safety valve, ___.
• A firetube boiler may be used in which plant pressure ranges?
• Define feedwater flash steam and its effect on energy balance.
• A reciprocating feedwater pump must have a safety relief valve located between which components?
• In a boiler system, which device automatically drains condensate while preventing steam loss?
• What happens when hot feedwater enters under pressure and some water flashes to steam?
• The setting or adjusting of a safety valve should only be done by the ___.
• Condensate is water formed when steam loses heat and condenses.
• Why is proper venting important in combustion systems?
• A sudden drop in boiler steam pressure without a corresponding drop in boiler water temperature could result in which event?
• To produce one pound of steam, the amount of water that must be evaporated is
• The heating surface is the part of a boiler that has heat and gases on one side and water on the other. Which of the following best describes this term?
• How can you verify boiler water level is safe without relying solely on a gauge glass?
• What instrument indicates boiler steam pressure?
• A horizontal return tubular (HRT) boiler is a type of what boiler?
• Which statement about boiler water pH is true?
• What is the function of a deaerator in boiler operation?
• In boiler water treatment, which option is primarily responsible for removing dissolved oxygen from feedwater?
• To prevent failure from pressure over the MAWP, all steam boilers must be equipped with at least one ___.
• One boiler horsepower is equivalent to approximately how many Btu per hour?
• During warming up a boiler, the boiler vent is opened until the steam pressure reaches what range?
• What steps can improve combustion efficiency?
• Which statement is true about the startup of centrifugal feedwater pumps?
• What is excess air in combustion, and why must it be controlled?
• What is a flame safeguard system?
• The part of a boiler that has the heat and gases of combustion on one side and water on the other side is known as the ___.
• Why should soot be removed from boiler tubes?
• In a firetube boiler, where do the heat and gases of combustion pass?
• Which practice contributes to a safe boiler room environment by ensuring floor condition and access to controls?
• How is stack gas temperature used to assess boiler efficiency?
• Which statement best describes how conductivity is used in boiler water testing?
• What is a gas train in boiler systems?
• The three numbers on the data plate of a reciprocating feedwater pump indicate what?
• During boiler warm-up, to remove any condensate trapped between the two boiler stop valves the ___.
• Which publication governs boiler safety in the United States and is commonly adopted in Chicago?
• A safety relief valve protects the boiler from overpressure. How is it typically tested?
• Which statement best describes the action of a safety valve on a boiler?
• When a boiler is being inspected, the two main steam stop valves are ___.
• When blowing down a boiler equipped with a quick-opening valve and a screw-type valve, the quick-opening valve is ___.
• The open feedwater heater is located ___.
• If the water temperature in the open feedwater heater is too high, what condition could develop?
• What is the hazard of leaking boiler gaskets?
• The most accurate means of deciding the frequency of blowdown of a boiler is determined by a ___.
• Which statement about flame detectors in burner controls is true?
• Which statement about safety valve actions is accurate?
• Pulverized coal has the consistency of talcum powder so that it ___.
• Why is soot removal important for boiler efficiency?
• No. ___ fuel oil must be heated in order to be pumped
• What common operational issue leads to incomplete combustion and smoke?
• Regular inspection of boiler gaskets is important because leaks can cause?
• Which statement about oxygen scavengers in boiler water treatment is true?
• What is Lockout/Tagout and why is it required during boiler maintenance?
• Natural draft is produced by which condition?
• Safety valve connections must be approved by the ___.
• Keeping floors clean and dry in a boiler room primarily helps prevent what kind of risk?
• Who is allowed to perform the annual Chicago boiler inspection?
• What outcome is associated with high water temperature in the open feedwater heater?
• Why are gate valves preferred as main steam stop valves?
• The main purpose of a water column is to
• Boiler plates and staybolts are subjected to ___ stress.
• The data plate on a reciprocating feedwater pump shows a sequence of three numbers. What do these numbers indicate?
• Bottom blowdown lines on a watertube boiler are located on the ___.
• What effect does boiler scale have on heat transfer?
• Why are logbooks important in boiler operation?
• What does stoichiometric air mean in boiler combustion?
• The maximum size of the bottom blowdown line and the surface blowdown line is ___.
• Gas leaks should be located and repaired by which entity?
• How does a closed-loop feedwater control system work?
• In a closed-loop feedwater system, what is a typical purpose of the sensors?
• Which device removes oxygen and other noncondensable gases from feedwater?
• Which device provides makeup water to an open feedwater heater when condensate returns are insufficient?
• Any repairs to a safety valve should be done by the ___.
• In boiler operations, which statement best describes the function of the venturi in air-fuel mixing?
• What is an emergency shut-off valve and when should it be used?
• Main boiler stop valves must be what type of valves?
• Name a safety device used to prevent overpressure and a basic test procedure.
• What is the purpose of a gauge glass and water column?
• Try cocks are used as which type of water level indication method?
• How does heat recovery affect boiler efficiency?
• The ___ boiler has a large volume of water in relation to horsepower size.
• A siphon protects the steam pressure gauge from ___.
• Vertical firetube boilers require ___.
• Why is feedwater heated before entering the boiler?
• Air is mixed inside the burner register in which type of gas system?
• Why is condensate return important and how is it typically returned?
• Safety valves are designed to ___.
• The purpose of having duplex strainers on the fuel oil suction line is to
• Centrifugal feedwater pumps can be started with their discharge valves ___.
• A steam pressure gauge is calibrated in ___.
• Which measurement guides blowdown decisions and helps determine cycles of concentration?
• What are cycles of concentration?
• A low pressure steam boiler has a maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) up to how many psi?
• The purpose of a feedwater regulator is to do what?
• Which condition in the open feedwater heater most directly causes steambound in the feedwater pump?
• Try cocks are ___.
• What is boiler scale and how does it affect heat transfer?
• When a boiler is equipped with hand-operated main steam stop valves, the steam pressure on the incoming boiler should be ___.
• Where is the boiler vent located?
• Dished steam and water drums in water-tube boilers are shaped to eliminate the need for which component?
• Saturated steam is defined by the relationship between temperature and pressure.
• Which device is used to preheat feedwater by extracting heat from combustion gases?
• What is the function of a flame scanner or ionization probe in a burner control system?
• Which factor is commonly monitored to control cycles of concentration in boiler water management?
• A safety valve will ___.
• Which of the following describes what vertical firetube boilers require?
• Which device is the primary safety device on a boiler?
• On a boiler burning low pressure gas, the volume (amount) of gas burned is controlled by the ___.
• Superheater safety valves are set to open ___.
• The combined water column and gauge glass reading is
• Pulverized coal is burned in which form?
• What is the purpose of a soot blower in a boiler?
• What is an interlock in boiler control and why is it important?
• What is a typical boiler water pH target range to minimize corrosion?
• The primary reason pulverized coal is ground to a powder is to
• Which statement correctly pairs the open feedwater heater temperature with the corresponding boiler issue?
• An economizer is used in large boiler plants to heat which part of the feedwater?
• Why are gate valves preferred as main steam stop valves?
• Oxygen pitting in the boiler is most closely associated with which condition?
• Condensate in a steam system is best described as water that forms when steam loses heat and
• Name a common boiler water treatment approach used to control scale and corrosion.
• Which of the following is true when the open feedwater heater temperature is too low?
• Which device uses a float mechanism to regulate water feed or condensate return?
• Draft is defined as a difference in pressure that causes which of the following?
• Which of the following best summarizes the relationship between open feedwater heater temperature and boiler risk?
• How is the air-to-fuel ratio controlled in modern boilers?
• A siphon protects the steam pressure gauge from which hazard?
• Which of the following is NOT a typical cause of priming or carryover in a steam boiler?
• What is a low gas pressure switch and what does it do?
• In a watertube boiler, the heat and gases of combustion pass ___.
• Which item is NOT one of the three boiler operating alarms?
• What is the purpose of the feedwater regulator?
• Which statement about blowing down the water column and gauge glass is correct?
• The steam and water drum of water-tube boilers is dished (concave) to eliminate the need for ___.
• What is the role of the feedwater pump?
• What is boiler blowdown and why is it performed?
• In a boiler system, what is the function of an economizer?
• The automatic city water makeup valve on an open feedwater heater is used to perform what function?
• Bottom blowdown lines on a watertube boiler are located on the mud drum.
• A draft fan located between the boiler and chimney is used in a(n) ___ draft system.
• The relieving capacity of a safety valve is measured in ___.
• The mud drum is the lowest part of the water side of a(n) ___ boiler.
• What does a pressure-reducing valve do in a steam system?
• On the fuel oil system, the duplex strainers on the suction line between the tank and fuel oil pump is to ___.
• The hydrostatic pressure at the base of a vertical one-foot column of water is approximately how many psi?
• If an automatic nonreturn valve is used as the main steam stop valve, where should it be installed?
• What is a likely consequence if the water temperature in the open feedwater heater is too high?
• What does a boiler trip indicate and what should be checked?
• A water temperature that is too low in the open feedwater heater can cause which of the following issues?
• MAWP stands for which phrase?
• A horizontal return tubular boiler is a type of which boiler?
• What is the Chicago boiler operation requirement for annual inspections?
• Why is maintaining an appropriate oxygen scavenger level critical?
• If continuous blowdown is not performed, what is the likely consequence for boiler water quality?
• What is a typical consequence of low water temperature in the open feedwater heater on the boiler?
• Which devices are typically used to return condensate to the boiler and prevent air infiltration?
• How should a boiler operator respond to a flame failure alarm?
• What is true about superheated steam?
• What is the impact of improper boiler water chemistry on boiler tubes?
• What are common boiler room housekeeping and safety practices?
• Makeup water in a boiler system is used to ...
• Differentiate makeup water from conditioned feedwater.
• When testing a safety valve by hand, there must be ___.
• What is the purpose of stack dampers in a boiler system?
• The four systems required to operate a steam boiler are ___.
• Which statement correctly represents a possible startup condition for the discharge valves on a centrifugal feedwater pump?
• What are common causes of priming or carryover in a steam boiler?
• Which type of boiler has a mud drum located as described?
• Boilers in a battery with manhole openings must have how many main steam stop valves?
• According to the ASME code, boilers operating at 100 psi or over must have how many bottom blowdown valves?
• Which fuel oil grade must be heated before pumping?
• What is the purpose of continuous blowdown?
• A safe and efficient boiler plant should include ___ pump(s).
• What is the primary function of a soot blower?
• When listing discharge valve states for starting a centrifugal feedwater pump, which option best represents the allowed setting?
• According to the ASME code, boilers operating at 100 psi or over must have ___.
• What best describes saturated steam?