LA Steam Engineer Exam Study Guide –
Complete Question Prep with Correct
Answers
SECTION 1: BOILER OPERATION & WATER LEVEL
MANAGEMENT
Question 1
If the boiler feedwater pump is operating and the boiler feedwater is not rising,
what is the best thing to do? Can you increase the speed of the feedwater pump
for more water volume?
A) Increase pump speed to force water into the boiler
B) Decrease firing rate, bring second pump online, secure boiler if level cannot be
maintained
C) Add more water treatment chemicals
D) Open the blowdown valve to relieve pressure
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: One option is to decrease the firing rate of the boiler and see if the water level
stabilizes. Another option is to bring the second pump online. If these options do not
remedy the situation and the boiler water level cannot be maintained, the boiler must be
,secured. You cannot increase the speed of the feedwater pump as this could create a
dangerous situation .
Question 2
What would you do if you could not see the water level in the boiler gauge glass
while the boiler is in operation?
A) Add water immediately to fill the gauge glass
B) Secure the burners and blow down the gauge glass to determine if it is full or empty
C) Increase the firing rate to create more steam
D) Ignore the issue and continue operation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: First, blow down the gauge glass to determine whether it is full or completely
empty. If the boiler water level is above the Normal Operating Water Level (NOWL), lower
the level by bottom blowdown. If the level cannot be seen and the boiler may be
dangerously low, secure the burners immediately. Adding water to a potentially dry boiler
could cause an explosion .
Question 3
What would you do if the water level in the gauge glass shifted up and down?
A) Increase the firing rate
B) Increase continuous blowdown and perform bottom blowdown
C) Add more feedwater
D) Shut down the boiler permanently
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This indicates foaming caused by an excessive amount of Total Dissolved Solids
(TDS). Increase continuous blowdown and perform bottom blowdown to reduce TDS levels.
Fluctuating water level is a classic sign of foaming caused by high TDS, organic matter, or
oil in the boiler water .
,Question 4
If a boiler was very low on water and showed signs of overheating, should you fill
it with water to cool it down?
A) Yes, immediately add water to cool the boiler
B) Absolutely not—it might cause an explosion or thermal shock
C) Only if the boiler pressure is below 50 psi
D) Yes, but add water slowly
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Adding water to an overheated boiler can cause an explosion or at least
thermal shock to the boiler metal. When boiler metal is extremely hot and water is
suddenly introduced, rapid cooling causes uneven metal contraction, which can lead to
catastrophic failure .
Question 5
What is boiler priming? What causes priming? How can priming damage an engine
or pump?
A) Priming occurs when steam condenses in the lines; it causes corrosion
B) Priming occurs when liquid water from the boiler drum is carried over into steam
lines, causing water hammer that can destroy engines and pumps
C) Priming is the process of adding chemicals to boiler water
D) Priming is the initial filling of the boiler with water
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Priming occurs when liquid water from the boiler drum gets carried over into
the steam lines. Causes include excessively high boiler drum level, foaming, sudden
pressure drop, and firing rate being too high. Priming causes water hammer that can
destroy or shorten the life expectancy of engines, pumps, and other steam loads .
, Question 6
How long can an operating boiler be left unattended?
A) 30 minutes
B) 10 minutes
C) 1 hour
D) 4 hours
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Boilers require constant monitoring. The maximum unattended time is 10
minutes to ensure that any developing problems can be detected and addressed before
they become dangerous .
Question 7
High water in the boiler is corrected by:
A) Increasing the firing rate
B) Opening the bottom blow
C) Adding more feedwater
D) Closing the steam outlet valve
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Removing excess water by blowing down the boiler lowers the water level back
to normal .
Question 8
If there are two safety valves on a boiler, which one lifts first?
A) The smaller in size
B) The largest in size
Complete Question Prep with Correct
Answers
SECTION 1: BOILER OPERATION & WATER LEVEL
MANAGEMENT
Question 1
If the boiler feedwater pump is operating and the boiler feedwater is not rising,
what is the best thing to do? Can you increase the speed of the feedwater pump
for more water volume?
A) Increase pump speed to force water into the boiler
B) Decrease firing rate, bring second pump online, secure boiler if level cannot be
maintained
C) Add more water treatment chemicals
D) Open the blowdown valve to relieve pressure
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: One option is to decrease the firing rate of the boiler and see if the water level
stabilizes. Another option is to bring the second pump online. If these options do not
remedy the situation and the boiler water level cannot be maintained, the boiler must be
,secured. You cannot increase the speed of the feedwater pump as this could create a
dangerous situation .
Question 2
What would you do if you could not see the water level in the boiler gauge glass
while the boiler is in operation?
A) Add water immediately to fill the gauge glass
B) Secure the burners and blow down the gauge glass to determine if it is full or empty
C) Increase the firing rate to create more steam
D) Ignore the issue and continue operation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: First, blow down the gauge glass to determine whether it is full or completely
empty. If the boiler water level is above the Normal Operating Water Level (NOWL), lower
the level by bottom blowdown. If the level cannot be seen and the boiler may be
dangerously low, secure the burners immediately. Adding water to a potentially dry boiler
could cause an explosion .
Question 3
What would you do if the water level in the gauge glass shifted up and down?
A) Increase the firing rate
B) Increase continuous blowdown and perform bottom blowdown
C) Add more feedwater
D) Shut down the boiler permanently
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: This indicates foaming caused by an excessive amount of Total Dissolved Solids
(TDS). Increase continuous blowdown and perform bottom blowdown to reduce TDS levels.
Fluctuating water level is a classic sign of foaming caused by high TDS, organic matter, or
oil in the boiler water .
,Question 4
If a boiler was very low on water and showed signs of overheating, should you fill
it with water to cool it down?
A) Yes, immediately add water to cool the boiler
B) Absolutely not—it might cause an explosion or thermal shock
C) Only if the boiler pressure is below 50 psi
D) Yes, but add water slowly
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Adding water to an overheated boiler can cause an explosion or at least
thermal shock to the boiler metal. When boiler metal is extremely hot and water is
suddenly introduced, rapid cooling causes uneven metal contraction, which can lead to
catastrophic failure .
Question 5
What is boiler priming? What causes priming? How can priming damage an engine
or pump?
A) Priming occurs when steam condenses in the lines; it causes corrosion
B) Priming occurs when liquid water from the boiler drum is carried over into steam
lines, causing water hammer that can destroy engines and pumps
C) Priming is the process of adding chemicals to boiler water
D) Priming is the initial filling of the boiler with water
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Priming occurs when liquid water from the boiler drum gets carried over into
the steam lines. Causes include excessively high boiler drum level, foaming, sudden
pressure drop, and firing rate being too high. Priming causes water hammer that can
destroy or shorten the life expectancy of engines, pumps, and other steam loads .
, Question 6
How long can an operating boiler be left unattended?
A) 30 minutes
B) 10 minutes
C) 1 hour
D) 4 hours
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Boilers require constant monitoring. The maximum unattended time is 10
minutes to ensure that any developing problems can be detected and addressed before
they become dangerous .
Question 7
High water in the boiler is corrected by:
A) Increasing the firing rate
B) Opening the bottom blow
C) Adding more feedwater
D) Closing the steam outlet valve
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Removing excess water by blowing down the boiler lowers the water level back
to normal .
Question 8
If there are two safety valves on a boiler, which one lifts first?
A) The smaller in size
B) The largest in size
