OHIO STATIONARY STEAM ENGINEER STUDY GUIDE
2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How can temporary hardness be removed from water?
-By heating water
-By softening the water
-by treating the water with sodium sulfite
either 1 or 2 - ✔✔either 1 or 2
✔✔What pH value shows alkalinity? - ✔✔9
✔✔A boiler has been under stress for an extended period of time with high alakalinity
concentration maintained in the water. This can cause? - ✔✔caustic embrittlement
✔✔What condition caused by improper water treatment may be remedied by
maintaining proper alkalinity? - ✔✔foaming.carryover
✔✔What test is used to measure hardness? - ✔✔SOAP TEST
✔✔What water test uses a color comparison? - ✔✔phosphate
✔✔When must a boiler have 2 bottom blowdown valves? - ✔✔if the pressure is higher
than 100 psi
✔✔What is the maximum pressure for which a seatless type blowdown valve can be
used? - ✔✔450 psi
✔✔What system is directly piped into your boiler flash tank? - ✔✔continuous blowdown
✔✔If you lay up a boiler for a short period of time, what concentration of caustic soda
should be maintained in the boiler water? - ✔✔400 ppm
✔✔What flow measurement device uses a float in a tapered glass? - ✔✔rotometer
✔✔What is used to line the inside of the furnace? - ✔✔first-quality firebrick
✔✔incomplete combution is a cause of - ✔✔soot accumulation
✔✔To what size is coal crushed for fluidized-bed boilers? - ✔✔to less than 1/4"
✔✔How are fuel oil strainers normally configured? - ✔✔one strainer at the suction side
of the pump and another just before the burner
, ✔✔What would not cause your fuel oil burner to go out? - ✔✔heated fuel oil
✔✔What type of pump is best suited for use with fuel oil burner system? - ✔✔positive
displacement pump
✔✔How often should the oil burner be cleaned on a HP boiler when firing heavy oils? -
✔✔once per shift
✔✔When banking a fuel oil fired boiler what should you do? - ✔✔shut off the FD fan
✔✔What is another name for a low gas pressure switch? - ✔✔vaporstat
✔✔When lighting a LP gas burner on a LP boiler, what is the last step? - ✔✔lift the
manual reset valve
✔✔the primary difference between a LP and a HP gas burner is? - ✔✔where the air and
fuel are mixed
✔✔What is the percentage of excess air needed for complete combustion when using a
fuel oil burner? - ✔✔3-15%
✔✔What is the only way to know for sure how much carbon monoxide you have coming
out of the stack? - ✔✔flue gas analysis
✔✔When are soot blowers for heating surfaces used when firing coal? - ✔✔once per
shift
✔✔When are soot blowers on economizers and air preheaters used when firing coal? -
✔✔daily
✔✔What limits the amount of coal that may be burned per sqft of grate surface? -
✔✔the amount of combustion air that can be delivered by the FD fan
✔✔When using a coal-fired boiler, what are the recommended percentages if underfire
vs overfire air? - ✔✔65%-35%
✔✔When using soot blowers, what is the draft condition? - ✔✔-.10 to -.15 "of h20
✔✔What is the temperature limit of the preheated air when operating a stoker fired
boiler? - ✔✔350 degrees
✔✔A wet scrubber that has been maintained properly has the capablility of absorbing
____% of SO2 in flue gases - ✔✔90%
2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How can temporary hardness be removed from water?
-By heating water
-By softening the water
-by treating the water with sodium sulfite
either 1 or 2 - ✔✔either 1 or 2
✔✔What pH value shows alkalinity? - ✔✔9
✔✔A boiler has been under stress for an extended period of time with high alakalinity
concentration maintained in the water. This can cause? - ✔✔caustic embrittlement
✔✔What condition caused by improper water treatment may be remedied by
maintaining proper alkalinity? - ✔✔foaming.carryover
✔✔What test is used to measure hardness? - ✔✔SOAP TEST
✔✔What water test uses a color comparison? - ✔✔phosphate
✔✔When must a boiler have 2 bottom blowdown valves? - ✔✔if the pressure is higher
than 100 psi
✔✔What is the maximum pressure for which a seatless type blowdown valve can be
used? - ✔✔450 psi
✔✔What system is directly piped into your boiler flash tank? - ✔✔continuous blowdown
✔✔If you lay up a boiler for a short period of time, what concentration of caustic soda
should be maintained in the boiler water? - ✔✔400 ppm
✔✔What flow measurement device uses a float in a tapered glass? - ✔✔rotometer
✔✔What is used to line the inside of the furnace? - ✔✔first-quality firebrick
✔✔incomplete combution is a cause of - ✔✔soot accumulation
✔✔To what size is coal crushed for fluidized-bed boilers? - ✔✔to less than 1/4"
✔✔How are fuel oil strainers normally configured? - ✔✔one strainer at the suction side
of the pump and another just before the burner
, ✔✔What would not cause your fuel oil burner to go out? - ✔✔heated fuel oil
✔✔What type of pump is best suited for use with fuel oil burner system? - ✔✔positive
displacement pump
✔✔How often should the oil burner be cleaned on a HP boiler when firing heavy oils? -
✔✔once per shift
✔✔When banking a fuel oil fired boiler what should you do? - ✔✔shut off the FD fan
✔✔What is another name for a low gas pressure switch? - ✔✔vaporstat
✔✔When lighting a LP gas burner on a LP boiler, what is the last step? - ✔✔lift the
manual reset valve
✔✔the primary difference between a LP and a HP gas burner is? - ✔✔where the air and
fuel are mixed
✔✔What is the percentage of excess air needed for complete combustion when using a
fuel oil burner? - ✔✔3-15%
✔✔What is the only way to know for sure how much carbon monoxide you have coming
out of the stack? - ✔✔flue gas analysis
✔✔When are soot blowers for heating surfaces used when firing coal? - ✔✔once per
shift
✔✔When are soot blowers on economizers and air preheaters used when firing coal? -
✔✔daily
✔✔What limits the amount of coal that may be burned per sqft of grate surface? -
✔✔the amount of combustion air that can be delivered by the FD fan
✔✔When using a coal-fired boiler, what are the recommended percentages if underfire
vs overfire air? - ✔✔65%-35%
✔✔When using soot blowers, what is the draft condition? - ✔✔-.10 to -.15 "of h20
✔✔What is the temperature limit of the preheated air when operating a stoker fired
boiler? - ✔✔350 degrees
✔✔A wet scrubber that has been maintained properly has the capablility of absorbing
____% of SO2 in flue gases - ✔✔90%
