During continuous industrial operation, routine cleaning, inspection, measurement, and data logging must be performed on the thermal oil heater and its auxiliary equipment. Establishing a standardized daily maintenance routine enables plant operators to monitor real-time operating conditions, resolve minor abnormalities immediately, and schedule targeted tasks into periodic maintenance plans.
Heater Room Housekeeping and Burner Surface Cleaning
Maintaining a clean operating environment directly supports operational safety and makes early equipment hazards easier to detect:
- Heater Room Housekeeping: Keep the thermal fluid heater room clean and orderly, ensuring no debris or clutter accumulates inside the facility.
- Exterior Equipment Cleaning: Regularly clear external dust and ash from the hot oil heater body and auxiliary components. A clean exterior allows operators to visually inspect equipment status and identify potential leaks or structural issues early.
- Dust Collector & Ash Box Clearing: For solid-fuel systems equipped with dust removal units, empty the dust collector and ash discharge box two to three times per shift.
- Facility Lighting: Maintain adequate lighting throughout the heater room at all times to support safe operation and visual inspections.
- Burner Cleaning & Vertical Heater Top Safety: For oil-fired and gas-fired units, frequently wipe away oil residue and dust buildup on combustion surfaces. On vertical gas-fired thermal oil heaters, where top surface temperatures remain high during operation, placing flammable materials on top of the furnace is strictly prohibited.
Scheduled Lubrication of Moving Equipment
Apply lubricant regularly to all designated lubrication points across circulating pumps, fans, and mechanical drives according to equipment specifications to ensure smooth, continuous operation.
Operational Checks and the 70°C Expansion Tank Limit
Daily walkthrough inspections should verify both mechanical performance and thermal fluid integrity across the hot oil system:
- Mechanical Drive Inspection: Check all rotating and moving equipment during operation to confirm that mechanical transmissions run smoothly without abnormal noise.
- Instrument Verification: Inspect pressure gauges, temperature gauges, and flow meters to verify that all readings remain within normal operating ranges.
- Thermal Fluid & Expansion Tank Temperature (< 70°C): Monitor the condition of the heat transfer fluid and closely check the oil temperature inside the high-level expansion tank. The expansion tank oil temperature must strictly not exceed 70°C to prevent thermal fluid oxidation, coking, and system leakage.
Operational Data Logging for Troubleshooting
Record all measurements collected during daily inspections—specifically system pressure, differential pressure, temperature, and temperature difference—alongside any equipment abnormalities observed. Maintaining accurate daily logs provides essential baseline data for diagnosing future system faults and planning preventive maintenance.