If you walked into a boiler room and saw the discoloration on the boiler jacket in Figure 1, would you be concerned? Should you. Absolutely.

One morning, when microbreweries were starting to pop up, a brewer called and asked if I knew brewery steam systems.

While teaching a class on hybrid boiler plants at the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers’ conference for university facility managers, I noticed one attendee sitting in the back of the room with his arms folded and a skeptical look on his face.

The first modular boiler room I walked into had four small boilers. My immediate reaction was, “Why would anyone buy four boilers when two larger ones would do the same job?” 

Within the first minute, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t anything I could smell, hear or see; it was something I felt. After nearly 40 years working in boiler rooms, I’ve come to trust what I call my “Spidey Sense.”

Discover how pairing an air-to-water heat pump with a traditional boiler cuts energy bills, lowers emissions, and extends equipment life.

Master the critical difference between subtractive and additive steam pressure controls to ensure your boiler systems run safely, efficiently, and without unnecessary service calls.

Discover the critical differences between comfort heating and process steam to ensure your brewery or distillery boiler operates with maximum efficiency and a long lifespan.

Mastering steam boiler replacement requires moving beyond standard HVAC habits to focus on connected load sizing, proper near-boiler piping, and system-wide diagnostics that ensure long-term reliability.

Stop debating the best season for boiler maintenance and discover why performing a combustion analysis on every single service call is the ultimate move for safety, liability protection, and professional pride.