Keep Industrial Equipment Safe and Running Smoothly
An industrial customer was having a problem with a regenerative catalytic oxidizer (RCO). The equipment was shutting down shortly after starting, despite the on-site team’s efforts to fix the issue. We were asked to investigate and get the system back on track.
The Kele Industrial technician began by carefully cleaning and checking the parts that help ignite and monitor the flame, including the spark igniter and the UV scanner—the system’s eyes that detect whether the flame is burning properly. They also adjusted the gas settings according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and reduced the pilot gas pressure to help the burner stay lit.
By gradually adding more gas and closely watching how the flame responded, they noticed that too much gas pressure was moving the flame out of view of the scanner. With a series of careful, small adjustments, the flame became steady and strong. They then tested the system to make sure it stayed stable and safe as it moved between low and high fire settings.
Next, the technician checked all the important safety devices, including switches that monitor gas pressure, air pressure, and temperature. They tested the emergency shut-off system, making sure that if anything went wrong, the main gas valves would close automatically.
The system was using manual reset switches, so every time there was a shutdown due to gas pressure changes, someone had to physically go to the equipment and reset it before a system restart. This caused delays and extra work for the maintenance team. The tech also found that the high-gas pressure switch was set too close to the normal operating pressure which made the switch trip too easily. Even small changes would shut the system down. The technician adjusted the setpoint slightly higher to help reduce unnecessary, nuisance shutdowns.
After consulting with the facility’s team, they agreed that upgrading to automatic reset switches would be a smart long-term solution. Automatic reset switches bring the system back online by themselves once gas pressure returns to a safe range. This upgrade reduces downtime, cuts down on manual labor, and helps improve overall safety. With approval, our team included two Honeywell automatic reset gas pressure switches in the upgrade plan to replace the older manual ones.
Once the RCO was running reliably, the tech inspected a nearby industrial oven. It didn’t have the proper flame safety systems required by NFPA 86 standards, so we recommended adding flame detection devices, upgrading the gas train, and installing improved temperature controls. These changes would make the oven safer, more efficient, and better suited to meet modern safety regulations.
The Kele Industrial team will prepare a detailed proposal for these additional upgrades. And if approved, install the new equipment to ensure everything operates safely and smoothly.
Learn more about Kele Industrial's Field Services here.