Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Q. What is a boiler?

A. Boiler means a closed vessel in which water is heated, steam is generated, steam is superheated, or any combination thereof, under pressure or vacuum for external use by the direct application of heat. The term "boiler" shall include fired or waste heat systems for heating or vaporizing liquids other than water where these systems are separate from processing systems and are complete within themselves.

Q. What size boilers have to be inspected by the State?

A. Boilers with capacities equal or exceed:

• 10 square feet of heating surface;
• 10 kilowatts or 40,000 Btu per hour when those vessels serve a dwelling unit of six or more families or other dwellings unit that may have accommodations for 25 or more people.

Q. How often is a boiler and refrigeration system inspected in the State and what signifies that an inspection is valid and satisfactory?

A. In accordance with the provisions established by the Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Refrigeration Law (BPV&RL) at N.J.S.A. 34:7-25 boiler and refrigeration plants shall be inspected at 12 month intervals. Hot water heating boilers by regulation at N.J.A.C. 12:90-4 shall be inspected internally at 24 month intervals and externally at 12 month intervals. Annual inspections are necessary for all steam boilers falling under the inspection criteria established by the BPV&RL. Whenever conditions warrant and in some cases, more frequently when abuse or unsafe conditions are noted, a six month internal or external inspection is made on any system falling under the jurisdiction of the BB&PVC. The BB&PVC issues a Certificate when an inspection is satisfactory. The Certificate must be displayed prominently under glass in the plant office or equipment room. Failure to properly post and display the Certificate could subject the owner to a penalty assessment issued by the BB&PVC for violation of the BPV&RL.

Q. When a new installation of a boiler is to be performed, what are the owner and the municipal code official's responsibility?

A. The Uniform Construction Code (UCC), N.J.A.C. 5:23, is the municipal official's code. An owner must obtain the appropriate permits from the municipality. For a temporary certificate of occupancy/certificate of occupancy (TCO/CO), the UCC code must be followed. The boiler regulation, N.J.A.C. 12:90-4.2, references N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.20 for guidance and N.J.A.C. 12:90-4.10 "Inspection of Boilers", the boiler regulations detail what size of equipment falls under the jurisdiction of the BB&PVC. N.J.S.A. 34:7.2 stipulate that it is the owner's responsibility to provide proof of inspection. However, the municipal official should let the owner of the equipment know that they must obtain an inspection by the BB&PVC. When new or replacement equipment is installed, the owner has 30 days to notify the BB&PVC so that an inspector can be dispatched to perform the inspection and register the equipment. New or replacement equipment inspections shall only be performed by the BB&PVC. In some cases, you may not be able to obtain a TCO/CO until this inspection is satisfied. The owner may select the State or have an authorized insurance company inspector perform all subsequent inspections at their location.

Q. When are water heaters inspected?

A. Water heaters are inspected when they equal or exceed the following:

• A heat input of 200,000 Btu per hour;
• A water operating temperature of 200oF;
• A nominal water capacity of 120 gallons.

The water heater must also be serving a dwelling unit of six or more families or other dwelling units that may have accommodations for 25 or more people.

Q. What is a pressure vessel?

A. A pressure vessel is similar to a boiler except that the pressure that makes it hazardous is obtained from an external source. It is defined as a vessel in which the pressure is obtained from an external source, or by the direct application of heat from a direct or indirect source. Existing pressure vessels must be build to Codes and Standards adopted by reference as established by the provisions of N.J.A.C. 12:90.

Q. What is the requirement for the safe operation of pressure vessels in New Jersey and how often must they be inspected?

A. Pressure vessels outnumber boilers by a ratio of about 3:1, thus safe installation, operation, maintenance and repair are mandatory. The inspection requirements is established under the provisions by law at N.J.S.A. 34:7-14 et seq., and promulgated by regulation at N.J.A.C. 12:90-5.

Q. Who is responsible for ensuring pressure vessels are installed, maintained, repaired and inspected?

A. N.J.S.A. 34:7-26 provides that the owner, lessee, seller or operator has this ultimate responsibility and if they "sell, use, cause or allow to be used such equipment specified (boiler, pressure vessel, refrigeration system or similar equipment) in violation of any provision of the article shall be liable to a penalty assessment of not less than $500 nor more than $10,000 for each first offense and not less than $500 nor more than $25,000 for each subsequent offense..". In addition, the regulatory provisions at N.J.A.C. 12:90-5.2 "Compliance with reference standards" specifies the codes and standards adopted by reference in N.J.A.C. 12:90 for pressure vessels and in paragraph 5.2(a) it states "Unfired pressure vessels shall be constructed, installed, maintained, repaired and inspected in accordance with the standards adopted by reference." The BB&PVC adopts these codes and standards and they are mandated for use by all responsible parties. The codes and standards ASME, NB, and API have the specific safety elements and requirements for the owner, user, operator, installer, etc. to follow. The BB&PVC enforces these safety requirements and elements in New Jersey.

Q. Are there provisions for a pressure vessel owner-user to establish an in-house inspection program?

A. Yes, N.J.A.C. 12:90-3.19 specifies the requirement to become an Owner-User Inspection Organization (contact the BB&PVC and request an Owner-User Inspection Organization package).

Q. Are pressure vessels as hazardous as boilers?

A. It is obvious when viewing national accident reports that pressure vessels are hazardous when not properly maintained. Reports such as those published by National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBPVI) at their website, www.nationalboard.org, detail inspection and accident activity across the United States and Canada. In New Jersey, no accident reporting mechanism exists to document a type of incident to a particular type vessel, even though boiler and pressure vessel incidents may occur.

Q. What is a refrigeration system?

A. Refrigeration system means a system that is a combination of interconnected refrigerant containing parts constituting one closed refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant is circulated for the purpose of extracting heat. Refrigeration applications generally fall into five categories based upon their design function. These refrigeration designs may be grouped as:

• domestic;
• commercial;
• industrial;
• marine and transportation; and
• air conditioning.

Q. How often is a boiler and refrigeration system inspected in the State and what signifies that an inspection is valid and satisfactory?

A. In accordance with the provisions established by the Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Refrigeration Law (BPV&RL) at N.J.S.A. 34:7-25 boiler and refrigeration plants shall be inspected at 12 month intervals. Hot water heating boilers by regulation at N.J.A.C. 12:90-4 shall be inspected internally at 24 month intervals and externally at 12 month intervals. Annual inspections are necessary for all steam boilers falling under the inspection criteria established by the BPV&RL. Whenever conditions warrant and in some cases, more frequently when abuse or unsafe conditions are noted, a six month internal or external inspection is made on any system falling under the jurisdiction of the BB&PVC. The BB&PVC issues a Certificate when an inspection is satisfactory. The Certificate must be displayed prominently under glass in the plant office or equipment room. Failure to properly post and display the Certificate could subject the owner to a penalty assessment issued by the BB&PVC for violation of the BPV&RL.

Q. What type of refrigeration system is inspected?

A. Refrigeration/Air Conditioning systems are inspected when they meet the criteria as follows:

• Systems using refrigerants of a flammable, highly toxic nature of over three tons or more of refrigerating capacity;
• Systems using refrigerants of a flammable, highly toxic or toxic nature requiring over six driving horsepower or more;
• Systems using refrigerants of a non-flammable and nontoxic nature of over 18 tons refrigerating capacity or more;
• Systems using refrigerants of a nonflammable and nontoxic nature requiring over 36 driving horsepower or more;
• Systems using refrigerants of a nonflammable and nontoxic nature operating over 15 psig or more, regardless of capacity.

Q. When should I contact the BB&PVC for an inspection of my equipment?

A. To be in compliance with the Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Refrigeration Law (BPV&RL), equipment falling under the authority of the BB&PVC must be inspected prior to its use. According to the BPV&RL, an owner should contact the BB&PVC within 30 days of an installation. The BB&PVC will assign an inspector and in some cases can expedite the inspection of the equipment.

Q. How do I contact the BB&PVC for an inspection or if I have a question?

A. All correspondence must be addressed to: