Boiler Operator

All Candle-lite maintenance positions have a steadfast number one priority to maintain product quality, production equipment, production standards and to keep production downtime to a minimum.

State licensed boiler operator for support of our boiler room, steam system, cooling tower, and plant utility operations. This position would also be required to meet specified operational safety, quality and quantity standards of performance.

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Normal and routine maintenance of the plant steam boiler room. This would include:

• Daily water testing and adjustment of chemical levels as required to sustain desired control limits of water in boilers. Safely handle chemicals as required to accomplish desired results.
• Maintenance of the well and city make-up water systems, including pipes, valves, pumps, controls and tank(s)
• Maintenance of the water softeners
• Maintenance of the gas supply system, including piping, valves, regulators and actuators
• Maintenance of the safety and control systems on the boilers
• Maintenance of the feed-water system, including holding tank, pipes, valves and pumps
• Maintenance of the condensate return system with the boiler room, up to the feed-water holding tank. Includes pipes, valves, traps, conductivity testing system (diverts fouled condensate to sewer).
• Maintenance of the blow down system between boilers and sewer.
• Maintenance of the steam supply system, including pipes, valves, insulation and regulators
• Maintenance of the boiler room, including lighting, electric, plumbing, valves, pumps, or insulation not previously identified.
• Maintenance of the boiler room structure, including repair or replacement of hardware or non-structural building components
• Painting as required
• Able to use combustion analysis equipment and optimize boiler combustion quarterly

2. Annual boiler maintenance as required to include::

• Tear down of each boiler for annual inspection by State inspector
• Inspect and make routine repairs to inside of boiler, including replacing door seals; remove and ensure free operation of air mixture fins
• Able to remove, repair and reposition burner
• Able to weld non-critical cracks in boiler external shell as required

3. Normal and routine maintenance of plant steam system. This would include:

• Annual inspection of, and replacement as required, of all steam traps. Develop and sustain a record keeping system
• Repair and/or replace leaking or defective stream and condensate fittings as required.
• Repair and/or replace steam solenoid valves and condensate pumps as required. Must be able to preform wiring to operate devices as required.
• Plumbing as required to install steam and condensate return piping.
• Install and maintain integrity of steam tracing on wax pipes and other heated vessels.
• Maintain steam and condensate pipe insulation in good working condition.
• Must be able to locate (troubleshoot) source and bring forward corrective plan-of-action when contamination of condensate return system occurs.

4. Normal and routine maintenance of the plant and the DC hot water boiler rooms. Also gas fired unit heaters in DC 1. This would include:

• Same overall scope of work as for the steam boiler room
• Maintain plant and DC unit heaters in good operating condition.
• Bi-weekly inspections (in season) of unit heater thermostats to ensure approved set points are sustained (as required)
• Start up and shut down hot water boilers as required by outside weather conditions
• Maintain pumps, pipes and controls in good working condition (as required)

5.Cooling Tower Water Chemistry Control

• Daily water testing and adjustment of chemical levels as required to sustain desired control limits of water in cooling towers and plant recirculating water systems. Safely handle chemicals as required to accomplish desired results.
• Clean heat exchangers, pipes, tanks, and other fluid vessels as required.
• Select and recommend to management, acids to use for cleaning
• Install and/or maintain pumps, piping, and cooling tower chemical and water level control systems as required

6. Air Compressor Maintenance. Shall include:

• Oil and filter changes as required
• Perform service on air dryers as required
• Troubleshoot problems when they occur
• Assist outside technicians as required
• Able to adjust load and unload pressure, and set-up multiple compressors for cascading operation
• Install compressed air piping as required
• Install automatic blow down devices as required
• Quarterly inspection of compressed air system to find air leaks. Develop and sustain a record keeping system
• Repair pipe and hose leaks as required

Other Duties

7. Propane Back-Up System

• Keep propane pumps, valves, pipes in good working condition
• Perform monthly (in winter) vaporizer and system tests to ensure system is able to operate when required.

8. Wax Supply System. Shall include:

• Install wax or remelt kettles as required
• Install piping, pumps, valves (manual or electric), electrical power and controls as required to support operation of kettles
• Repair and/or replace wax pumps as required. Must be able to perform wiring to operate devices as required
• Repair or replace leaking wax pipes as required
• Replaced damaged or missing wax pipe insulation as required
• Develop standardized installation schematics for wax, steam, and condensate piping, and document for future use

9. Projects

• Shall perform project work as assigned. Projects may encompass a variety of disciplines and include not only plumbing but also electric, machining, welding and fabrication, and millwright work.
• Bring forward ideas for improvement of boiler room, boiler operation, plant steam and condensate system, and compressed air system.
• Develop complete written scope of work for projects assigned by superiors and own ideas for improvement. Must be able to define objective of project, steps required to achieve objective, complete bill of material required, labor estimates to complete work as defined in scope.
• Use phone and/or Internet to make vendor contacts to get product information and pricing for specialized items. Also contact service vendors when required for support and scheduling of service.

10. Reporting to include but not limited to:

• Issue end-of-shift notes highlighting days' problems, responses, work completed or in progress. Notes to be issued on Microsoft Office
• Prepare detail documents as required for assigned projects.
• Write "Statement of Need" for projects.

Education and / or Experience:

• High school graduate or equivalent
• Must have a State of Ohio boiler operator license or agree to attend classes required to take examination
• Must be skilled in use of ultrasonic, temperature differential or other devices employed to detect leaking traps, combustion analysis equipment, ultrasonic or other devices employed to detect air leaks, and electrical test equipment.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Products

• Working knowledge of maintenance shop equipment (lathes, drill press, grinders, milling machine, saws, welders, etc.), portable hand and power tools, precision tools, calculator, material handling equipment and any other equipment associated with facility
• Associates Degree in a related field and working knowledge of AutoCAD or VISIO is preferred

Knowledge / Skills / Cometencies / Experience:

• Flexibility
• Good communication skills
• Literate and Numeric
• Accurate - Attention to Detail
• Results oriented
• Proactive / Uses Initiative
• Problem Solving skills

Behavioral Characteristics:

• Respectful
• Responsible
• Approachable
• Calm
• Reliable
• Trustworthy
• Positive "can-do" attitude
• Willing able to learn new skills
• Open to change

Language Skills: (if applicable)

• N/A

Physical Activity & Demands:

• Standing and/or walking 90%; sitting 10%. It will be expected for the individual to be able to climb over/under equipment and machinery to gain access for maintenance. It will also be necessary to be able to climb access stairs and ladders to the top of Prill Towers, storage tanks, plant roof, and elevated maintenance platforms to perform maintenance and inspections.
• Some heavy lifting will be required in accordance with power tools, equipment and machinery parts.
• Some working conditions will be in confined and cramped areas. Required at times to work from a ladder.
• Frequent visual acuity is required for reading gauges, monitoring/test equipment, blueprints, electrical schematics, charts, etc.

Work Environment:

• Works inside in normal, inside factory work environment, variable heating, cooling, drafts, operating machinery/equipment noises and material handling equipment. Works outside in all weather conditions; extremes of heat and cold, all forms of precipitation. Exposed to variable intensities of heat from equipment/melted waxes and odors from candle scents. Sump-pump working conditions are in confined sub-basement areas. Required at times to work from a ladder or in confined spaces.

• Required wearing necessary personal protective equipment when performing job duties. This PPE will vary from job to job functions. This equipment may include welding and cutting shields, sleeves, rubber aprons and hi-voltage electrical protection. Certain areas of the plant require the use of ear protection.

• Exposed to cuts from sharp metal edges, glass, etc. associated with working on equipment/machinery; electrical hazards from both high and low voltage systems; minor burns from overheated equipment or machinery and wax/steam/hot water distribution systems.