Templates

Boiler preventive maintenance checklist

In short

This boiler preventive maintenance checklist walks a competent person through safe isolation, the water side and treatment, the combustion and burner side, controls and safety interlocks, the flue and relief valves, then logging the result. Gas, combustion and pressure-vessel work must be done by a licensed and qualified person. Run it as an inspection template in Cohiva Control and a failed item raises a work order automatically, with versioned, immutable records. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and any applicable standards for intervals and settings.

Boiler preventive maintenance checklist

A boiler that is left to run without attention tends to fail expensively, and a poorly maintained one can be dangerous. Most of what goes wrong, a fouled burner, a weeping relief valve, scale on the water side, a drifting control, shows up first as something a routine check would catch. This boiler preventive maintenance checklist gives a competent person a sensible order to work through, and shows how to run it inside Cohiva Control so the result is recorded and any failure becomes a tracked job.

Treat the items as practical guidance. Intervals, settings and pressures must follow the manufacturer’s instructions and any applicable standards, not a generic figure. Work on the gas supply, combustion, the burner or any pressurised system must be carried out by a licensed and qualified person, and a registered pressure vessel will have its own statutory inspection regime that this checklist does not replace.

Before you start

  • Confirm the maintenance window and that any heating or hot water outage is acceptable to the building.
  • Isolate the boiler safely, gas, fuel and electrical, and apply your site’s lockout procedure before opening any panels.
  • Open the asset record in Cohiva Control and confirm you are working on the right unit.
  • Review any faults, lockouts or comfort complaints reported since the last visit.
  • Confirm the area is well ventilated and that you have the right gauges and tools.

Check the water side

Scale, corrosion and poor water quality shorten a boiler’s life.

  • Inspect for leaks at joints, valves, gauge glasses and the boiler shell.
  • Check the gauge glass and water level controls operate and read correctly.
  • Carry out the planned blowdown where the system uses one, and confirm it functions.
  • Check feedwater and any water-treatment dosing against your treatment plan.
  • Inspect visible pipework, valves and supports for corrosion and damage.

Check the combustion and burner

This is licensed work; record what the qualified person finds.

  • Inspect the burner for soot, fouling and damage; clean as the manufacturer directs.
  • Check the ignition, flame and any flame-failure device operate correctly.
  • Confirm combustion is within the manufacturer’s specified figures, set by the qualified person.
  • Inspect the fuel supply, lines and filters for leaks and contamination.

Check controls and safety interlocks

  • Confirm the boiler responds correctly to its controls and setpoints.
  • Test the safety interlocks and limit controls operate, and flag anything bypassed.
  • Check pressure and temperature gauges read sensibly against the controls.
  • Confirm any sequence or lead and lag control across multiple boilers works as intended.

Check the flue and relief valves

  • Inspect the flue and any draught control for blockage, corrosion and secure fixing.
  • Check the relief or safety valve for signs of weeping, corrosion or tampering; testing is a qualified-person task on the defined regime.
  • Confirm flue terminations and any condensate route are clear and correct.

Log and close out

  • Mark each item pass or fail in the inspection.
  • Attach photos of corrosion, leaks or worn parts.
  • Record any gauge, run-hour or combustion values you track.
  • Remove the lockout, return the boiler to service and confirm normal operation.

In Cohiva Control, a failed item can raise a work order automatically, so a weeping valve or a sooting burner becomes a scheduled repair with the evidence attached. Inspection records are versioned and immutable once submitted, giving you a clear history per boiler for reliability tracking and the asset’s maintenance record. Build the checklist once as an inspection template and put it on a preventive maintenance schedule; see also the HVAC preventive maintenance checklist and how inspections and audits work.

Part of the Cohiva platform

Cohiva Control is part of the Cohiva platform. Leisure operators often run it with Cohiva Complex, and finance teams connect it to Cohiva Crunch for the general ledger. Explore the platform at www.cohiva.app.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a boiler be serviced?
It depends on the boiler type, its duty and the environment, so follow the manufacturer's schedule and any applicable standards. High-duty plant and registered pressure vessels usually need more frequent attention and a defined statutory inspection regime.
Who is allowed to work on a boiler?
Work on the gas supply, combustion, the burner and any pressurised system must be done by a licensed and qualified person. General visual checks, housekeeping and reading gauges suit a competent maintenance technician under proper isolation.
Can I schedule this checklist automatically?
Yes. Build it as an inspection template on a preventive maintenance schedule in Cohiva Control and it generates work orders on a time or meter interval, with PM compliance tracked against the schedule.
What happens if a check fails?
A failed item can raise a work order automatically, so a leaking valve or a sooting burner becomes a tracked repair. The inspection record is versioned and immutable once submitted.
Does following this make my site compliant?
No. It supports your own inspection regime and keeps a clear record. Confirm your obligations, the correct intervals and any statutory pressure-vessel inspection requirements against the manufacturer's instructions and any applicable standards.