Maine law: the license, its classes and the examination 17
A boiler operator's training permit is limited in which two ways?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(B)
A license expired more than 90 days ago but less than two years ago. What does the rule allow?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 4(1)
An applicant holds a current United States Coast Guard marine engineer's license. What else makes the applicant eligible for a Maine license?32 M.R.S. § 15109(3)(C)
Besides a heating plant of 20,000 #/HR, in what larger plant may a boiler operator operate or supervise?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(B)
For how long does approval to sit for the examination stay valid?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 1(4)
How many questions does the candidate bulletin give the Boiler Operator examination, and how much time?Candidate Information Bulletin, Boiler and Steam Engineer Exam Descriptions
How much operating experience must an applicant have before the boiler operator's examination?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(B)
In the Maine statute, what does "#/HR" stand for?32 M.R.S. § 15109(1)(F)
Up to what capacity may a 2nd-class engineer have charge of a plant?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(E)
What experience does an applicant for a 4th-class engineer's license need?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(C)
Show all 104 questions (94 more)
Maine law: the license, its classes and the examination, continued
What is the lowest passing grade Maine law allows on a boiler operator or steam engineer examination?32 M.R.S. § 15109(6-A)
What may the holder of a Maine boiler operator's license have charge of?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(B)
When does a boiler operator or stationary steam engineer license expire?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 3(1)
Which engineer's license lets its holder have charge of a plant of not more than 50,000 #/HR?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(C)
Which subject area carries the most questions on the Boiler Operator examination outline?Candidate Information Bulletin, Boiler and Steam Engineer Exam Descriptions
Who is NOT covered by Maine's mandatory licensing of boiler operators?32 M.R.S. § 15109(2-A)(C)
Whom may the director allow to sit for the boiler operator's examination without first holding a training permit?32 M.R.S. § 15109(7)(B)
Maine rules: attendance, the engineer-in-charge and the log 12
A boiler is partially automated. How must it be classified for operation?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 70, § 2(4)(A)
A licensed boiler operator finds an unsafe condition in a boiler. By when must the chief inspector be told?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 6
A plant can be classed at once as a heating plant and a process plant. Which attendance requirement applies?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5
An automatic boiler runs in a heating plant with less than 1,000,000 BTU/hour of aggregate heat input. What is the least monitoring the rule allows?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5(3)(C)
An automatic boiler runs in a process plant with 1,000,000 BTU/hour or more of aggregate heat input. How often must a licensed individual monitor it?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5(3)(B)
How closely must a manual power boiler be attended while it is in operation?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5(2)
How do Maine's rules define a power boiler, also called a high pressure boiler?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 70, § 2(18)
How do the attendance rules treat steam kettles used in cooking?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5(3)(B)
How long must a copy of the engineer's log book be kept?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 7(5)
What must the engineer-in-charge do on each regularly scheduled work day?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 7(3)
Which steam boiler is a low pressure boiler under the Maine rules?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 70, § 2(8)
Who may change the controls on a high pressure boiler so that it operates as a low pressure boiler?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 80, § 5(3)(C)
Maine law and rules: inspections, certificates and accidents 13
After a reportable accident, what may be done with the boiler's parts and appurtenances before the chief inspector investigates?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 78, § 5(2)
After a reportable accident, when may the boiler go back into operation?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 78, § 5(3)
An owner places a boiler out of service. Which two things must be disconnected?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 78, § 7(1)
Before a power boiler is installed, how far ahead must the owner send plans and specifications to the chief inspector?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 1(1)
Each year a power boiler gets an internal certificate inspection. What other inspection does the rule require?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 4(1)(A)
How must a horizontal firetube boiler be pitched when it is set?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 8
How often must a low pressure boiler have an internal inspection, when its construction permits one?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 75, § 5(1)
What do the rules say about fully closable manual dampers on automatically fired boilers?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 9
What does section 15114 make of operating a boiler under pressure without a valid inspection certificate?32 M.R.S. § 15114
What is stamped on a boiler condemned in Maine?32 M.R.S. § 15112
Where must a boiler's inspection certificate be posted?32 M.R.S. § 15117
Which letters come before the State registration number stamped on a power boiler's tag?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 3(2)
Who must perform welded repairs and alterations to a boiler?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 77, § 2(1)
Boiler: types, parts and the water side 15
A feedwater pipe loses metal from its inside wall near bends, pumps and injection points. What does the guide call this?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.3.1
A pilot flame burns with a yellow tip. What does the guide say is lacking?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.3.2
At atmospheric pressure, one cubic foot of water turned to steam expands to fill about how much space?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.4
By the rule of thumb the guide quotes, about how much fuel does removing a 1/32 inch deposit from heat transfer surfaces save?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.10
In a water-tube boiler, what are the water-filled tubes connected to?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.2.2
Load and excess air are unchanged, yet flue gas temperature climbs over time. What does that most likely show?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
Scale forms on the water side of a boiler. What is the cause, by the guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
Steam fills a vented tank, the vent is closed and the steam condenses. What happens to the tank?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.4
Up to about what pressure are fire-tube boilers generally available, by the federal O&M guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.2.1
What causes by far the greatest number of forced outages in all types of boilers?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.3.1
What do dissolved solids in boiler water promote, by the federal tip sheet on blowdown?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
What primarily causes soot on the fire side?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
Which is the single most expensive component in a boiler, by the guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.3.1
Which was the number one category of boiler incident resulting in injury in the 1999 figures the guide cites?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.4
Why does a steam boiler need daily water treatment attention when a hot water boiler usually does not?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.4
Boiler: combustion and efficiency 15
A boiler cycles on and off too often. Which fix does the guide offer first?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.1
A boiler has an economizer in its exhaust stack. Where should a combustion analyzer's probe be inserted?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.2
About how large is the stack loss of a gas-fired boiler without heat recovery, by the guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
At what firing condition does a boiler typically have its highest efficiency?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.1
Below what temperature should flue gas from high sulphur fuel oil not be cooled, by the federal tip sheet on economizers?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #3
By the rule of thumb in the federal tip sheet on combustion, cutting excess air by 15% raises boiler efficiency by about how much?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #4
The guide's weekly checklist gives recommended flue gas readings by fuel. What oxygen reading does it give for No. 2 fuel oil?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
How often should a boiler be tuned, by the guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.2
How often should the fire side of the boiler be cleaned, by the guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.4
What does an oxygen trim system do?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #4
What excess air level is attainable on a well-designed natural gas-fired system, by the tip sheet?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #4
What is excess air?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.2
What simple flue gas measurement tells how much air a boiler is using?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
Why does short cycling waste fuel?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.1
Why must firing with deficient air be avoided?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
A deaerator is designed to remove oxygen dissolved in the water, not entrained air. Which is a source of that "free air"?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #18
A steam trap fails in the open position. What is lost?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #1
Besides removing gases, what does a deaerator give the boiler feed pump?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #18
By how much can a feedwater economizer often cut fuel requirements, by the federal tip sheet?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #3
How often does the tip sheet recommend testing steam traps on high-pressure lines of 150 psig and above?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #1
Of which three parts does a deaerator consist?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #18
What dissolved oxygen level is needed to prevent corrosion in most high-pressure boilers, by the tip sheet?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #18
What does a deaerator remove from boiler feedwater?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #18
What does an automatic blowdown control system measure to set the blowdown rate?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
Where does corrosion attack a deaerator, by the federal O&M guide?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.3.1
Where is the low-pressure steam from a blowdown flash tank most typically used?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #10
Which are the four basic ways to test a steam trap, by the federal tip sheet?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #1
Which boiler is an excellent candidate for an economizer retrofit, by the tip sheet?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #3
Why does returning hot condensate to the boiler save fuel?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #8
Plant operations: daily checks, logs and blowdown 12
An unstable water level can be a sign of what, by the daily checklist?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
Boiler water holds 10 times the impurities of the makeup water. How is that stated?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
How does the guide's weekly check of the water level control go?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
How is mud or bottom blowdown usually done?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
The weekly check of boiler operating characteristics has the operator stop fuel flow. What is observed?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
What does the guide say the boiler room should NOT be treated as?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.5.2
What is the typical range of blowdown rates, as a share of boiler feedwater flow?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
What may be produced if steam pressure drops too fast?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
What may insufficient blowdown lead to?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
Which blowdowns should the daily check verify are occurring and effective?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
Which of these does the guide's checklist put in the daily boiler log?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.12
Why do operators log stack temperature daily?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.9.4
Math 6
A boiler delivers 46,000 lb/hr of steam at a blowdown rate of 8% of feedwater. How much feedwater does it take, by the tip sheet's method?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #9
A boiler makes 38,000 lb/hr of steam with a continuous blowdown of 2,000 lb/hr. What is the blowdown ratio, figured as the federal tip sheet does?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #10
A non-code shell has steel plate of unknown strength 0.5 inch thick, an inside radius of 22 inches and a longitudinal joint efficiency of 0.80. With Maine's assumed tensile strength and least factor of safety, what is the MAWP?02-041 C.M.R. ch. 74, § 5
A stuck-open trap with a 1/8 inch orifice on a 100 psig line loses 52.8 lb/hr by the tip sheet's table. How much steam is that in 24 hours?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #1
One boiler horsepower equals 34.5 pounds of steam per hour at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. About how many boiler horsepower is the boiler operator's 20,000 #/HR limit?O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0, section 9.2.2.1
Stack gas temperature falls from 480 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit after tube cleaning. By the 40 degree rule of thumb, about how much does boiler efficiency rise?U.S. Department of Energy, Steam Tip Sheet #3
This unofficial Maine boiler license study guide is a practice test: 104 of our own questions on Title 32, chapter 131, the Program's rules and boiler operation. It is not affiliated with the Maine Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Program.
Read the full guide
What the state's outline lists
The candidate bulletin gives the Boiler Operator examination five subject areas: Boiler 60 questions, Plant Equipment 14, Plant Operations 11, Code 10 and Math 5.
What this bank covers
Forty-two questions come from Maine's own law, rules and bulletin: the license classes, attendance intervals, the engineer-in-charge, inspections and accidents. The other sixty-two cover the plant, almost all from a federal operations guide and steam tip sheets: boiler parts, the water side, combustion, deaerators, traps, blowdown and arithmetic.
What is left out
The bulletin's reference textbook and the ASME code are privately published and neither was used, so safety valve settings and fitting details from the code are not asked.
Learn the capacity ladder: 20,000 #/HR for the boiler operator, then 50,000, 100,000 and 200,000 for the 4th, 3rd and 2nd class engineers.
Attendance turns on 1,000,000 BTU/hour: process plants every two hours at or above it and eight below, heating plants eight and twenty-four.
Questions and answers
Is there a Maine boiler license study guide from the state?
No single guide. The candidate bulletin lists the subject areas and two references: a privately published textbook on high pressure boilers, and Maine's boiler and pressure vessel laws and rules. The law and rule questions here are written from the second.
How many questions are on the Maine boiler operator exam?
One hundred multiple choice questions, by the Program's page, in three hours and closed book, by the candidate bulletin. Chapter 80 of the rules sets the passing grade at 70%, the lowest the statute allows.
What does a Maine boiler operator license let me run?
A heating plant of not more than 20,000 pounds of steam per hour, or a larger plant up to the capacity of the license of the engineer in charge there (32 M.R.S. § 15109).
How do I qualify for the Maine boiler operator exam?
With six months of operating experience under a boiler operator training permit, which is limited to one named plant and one year. The Program must approve the application before the examination is scheduled.
Are these questions from the real Maine exam?
No. Each was written for this page from the Maine statute, the Program's rules, the candidate bulletin or a U.S. Department of Energy publication. None comes from the state examination, and the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Program did not review this page.