Requirements in Securing Permit to Install and Permit to operate Boilers/Pressure Vessels
Before a boiler/pressure vessel is installed, the owner/manager or his authorized representative shall file to the
government as the enforcing authority an application for boiler/pressure vessel installation accompanied by the
necessary plans in white or blue print and manufacturer’s data report. The following shall be incorporated in the plans:
1. Location plan shall show:
a. Site of the compound indicating any known landmarks, such a street, private or public place or building
and an arrow indicating the NORTH direction drawn not necessarily to scale.
2. Room layout shall show:
a. The detail of the boiler/pressure vessel room drawn to scale indicating the clearance of the
boiler/pressure vessel to the surrounding walls or any machinery/equipment in the room. There shall
be at least two independent doors.
b. The type of materials used for the room walls, may either be concrete, adobe, hollow blocks or other
type of firewall. The height of the walls shall be at least equal or higher than the topmost part of the
boiler/pressure vessel.
3. Installation and foundation plan shall show:
a. The front and side views of the boiler/pressure vessel with the foundation which will include the detail
of anchorage or its setting to the foundation. The dimension of the concrete foundation shall also be
indicated.
b. The water column assembly, main steam line, blow-off line, safety valve/valves, feed water inlet line
and feed water appliances, pressure gage connection, manhole or hand hole in case of boilers.
c. The inlet and outlet pipe, drain pipe, inspection plug, manhole or hand hole, glass gage, relief/safety
valve and pressure gage connection in case of pressure vessels.
d. The clearance of the lowest portion of the boiler to the floor line shall not be less than 45 cm in case of
horizontal fire tube boiler.
e. The type of furnace to be used. (Dutch, integral, package, etc.)
4. Foundation design computation shall show:
a. The total weight of the boiler/pressure vessel and accessories. (dry).
b. The weight of water inside the boiler/pressure vessel when full.
c. The base area and volume of concrete foundation.
d. The type of concrete mixture used and density of concrete.
e. The soil bearing capacity in the vicinity where the boiler/pressure vessel is to be installed.
f. The minimum factor of safety of the concrete foundation shall be 5 as required by the Philippine
Mechanical Engineering Code.
g. All sheets should be signed and sealed by a Professional Mechanical Engineer (PME).
5. Detailed construction drawing shall show:
a. The sectional front and side elevations of the boiler/pressure vessel indicating thew diameter,
thickness and length of the shell or drum, length of courses (weld to weld or rivet to rivet), thickness
and type of heads; number of tubes, diameter and gage number/thickness of tubes, blow off or drain
pipe; feed water inlet; manhole or hand hole, inspection plug, fusible plug if any, and diagonal or thru
stall rods.
b. The details of longitudinal and circumferential joints; detail of head attachment to shell; detail of nozzle
and manhole/hand hole attachment.
c. The boiler/pressure vessel data and specifications or stampings (material specs).
d. The detail of furnace in case of fire tube boilers whether plain or corrugated and how the furnace is
attached to the heads, the diameter, length, thickness, length of each courses, details of longitudinal
and circumferential joints of the furnace.
e. The number of water gages, number of try cocks, types of drain and distances of topmost row of tubes
to the lowest visible range of glass gage or shell in case of fire tube boilers.
6. Size of plans:
All sheets of plans to be submitted shall be limited to any of the following:
267.70 mm x 350 mm ------minimum
350 mm x 525 mm
350 mm x 650 mm
700 mm x 1050 mm -------maximum
7. Title block:
a. The size shall be 10cm x 16cm at the lower right hand corner of each sheet of plans to contain:
1. Name and address of the establishment
2. Title of the plan
3. Initial of draftsman, date of plan drawn, sheet number and scale used.
4. Name in print, signature and seal of PME at the lower right hand corner, within the title block. The
registration number, current PTR number and Tax Account Number shall also be indicated.
5. Name in print and signature of owner/manager of the establishment at the lower left hand corner,
within the title block opposite the PME. The Tax Account Number of the owner/establishment shall
also be indicated below the signature of the owner/manager of the establishment.
All plans shall be drawn using Metric scale. Minimum shall be 1:50 but preferably 1:100 except for
small and minute parts/details.
b. Upon approval of the plans and supporting papers, installation shall be done under the supervision of
the Professional Mechanical Engineer (PME) who signs the application. If minor deviations from the
approved plans is encountered in the actual installation, the enforcing authority shall be informed in
writing or in person so that the necessary corrections can be noted. In cases where major alterations
will be done in the actual installation that may affect the original design, the necessary plans shall be
re submitted, in the same manner as for new application. The approved application and plans serves
as the permit to install.
c. Upon completion of the installation, the establishment shall request final inspection and if found to be
in accordance with the approved plan and standards, the permit to operate the boiler/pressure vessel
shall be issued which is good for one year.
d. Thirty days before the expiration of the permit to operate the boiler/pressure vessel, the establishment
shall inform the enforcing authority. The establishment shall prepare the boiler/pressure vessel for
inspection and a hydrostatic pump (preferably a hand pump) shall be made ready by the
establishment during the inspection. In cases where the establishment cannot stop the operation of
the boiler/pressure vessel due to unavoidable circumstances or commitments in their business, the
owner/manager can request for a postponement of not more than thirty (30) days from the expiry
date.
e. Boiler tenders shall be licensed in accordance with the Mechanical Engineering Law, as amended.
f. Repair of boiler/pressure vessel shall only be done after the plans and specifications of materials are
approved by the enforcing authority.