🔍 Key Concepts

• Routine boiler inspections focus on common failure points where heat and stress are greatest • In a fire tube auxiliary boiler, hot gases pass through the tubes and water is on the outside • Typical problems include tube end damage, corrosion, and metal loss at high‑stress/high‑temperature areas

💭 Think About

• Which parts of the fire tube boiler are most exposed to direct flame and highest temperatures during operation? • Where are tubes mechanically joined or expanded, and why might that make those spots more vulnerable to damage? • If you were writing a checklist for boiler tube inspection, would you limit it to just one type of defect or cover multiple common defects?

✅ Before You Answer

• Think about tube ends and tube sheets as high‑stress locations that need careful inspection • Consider whether corrosion can occur on the fireside surfaces exposed to hot gases and combustion products • Ask yourself if an inspector would reasonably ignore any of these listed defects during a proper maintenance inspection, or if they would check all relevant tube damage modes