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Boiler Compliance

The Boiler Inspection Cycle is January 1 to December 31. Low-Pressure Boiler and High-Pressure Boiler Internal and External Inspections must be performed within this cycle (i.e. calendar year). All inspection reports are due within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of performing the inspection. For example, an inspection performed on December 31 must be received by DOB no later than January 14 of the following year.

Industry Notices & Updates

Low-Pressure Boiler Compliance

Property owners are responsible for hiring a licensed professional to conduct the inspections. Low-pressure boiler inspections can be performed only by qualified installers licensed by the Department of Buildings (DOB) or by an authorized boiler insurance company. 

Annual inspections must be conducted and inspection reports must be filed for H-stamped and E-stamped boilers (not HLW-stamped hot water heaters) located in the following property types:

  • residential buildings with six or more families
  • commercial and mixed-use buildings, regardless of boiler BTU capacity
    NOTE: A mixed-use building has both commercial and 1-5 residential units.  
  • any residential buildings classified as Single Room Occupancy (SRO) dwellings

The following registered low-pressure boilers DO NOT require an annual inspection:

  • boilers in residential buildings with 5 families or fewer
  • a single boiler located within a single dwelling unit and supplying heat only to that unit 

NOTE: Low-pressure boilers with a heating input of 100,000 BTUs or less are subject to inspection when located anywhere outside a single apartment within a 6 or more residential occupancy, commercial, or mixed-use (commercial plus 1-5 residential occupancy) property, without regard to the number of dwelling units served.

Reporting

  • A boiler inspection report must be filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 14 days of performing the inspection.
  • Reports submitted after the 14-day filing deadline, but no later than January 14 of the calendar year immediately following the inspection cycle, will be considered late filings. A late filing civil penalty of $50 per month, per boiler, starting on the day following the filing deadline will be imposed, up to a maximum of $600 per boiler.
  • Reports submitted after the late filing period will be considered expired and a failure-to-file civil penalty of $1,000 per boiler will be imposed.
  • If an inspection reveals any dangerous condition in a boiler that threatens life or safety and that requires an immediate shut down of the boiler, the inspector must  notify DOB’s Boiler Unit of the condition by email within 24 hours after the condition is discovered.
  • If defects are found during an inspection, the defects must be corrected within 90 days of the initial inspection date. A subsequent inspection report must be filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 14 days of the  subsequent inspection date. An affirmation of correction filed in DOB NOW: Safety more than 104 calendar days from the initial inspection date will be deemed expired and the report will be rejected. 
  • If the subsequent inspection report is filed after the correction due date, a failure-to-file Affirmation of Correction civil penalty of $1,000 per boiler will be imposed. An additional late filing civil penalty of $50 per month, per boiler, starting on the day following the correction due date up to the filing date of the subsequent inspection report will also be imposed, up to a maximum of $600 per boiler.
  • An owner or licensee may request up to two 45-day extensions of the subsequent inspection filing deadline based on the criteria outlined in 1 RCNY 103-01. The extension request must be submitted in DOB NOW: Safety. Each request must be filed no later than the current correction deadline, or it will be denied and no further extension requests will be possible. An extension request is not considered granted until approved by DOB.
  • An owner may request a waiver of failure-to-file civil penalties by submitting a request in the Violations portal in DOB NOW: Safety. The criteria for waivers are outlined in 1 RCNY 103-01.

High-Pressure Boiler Compliance

High-pressure boilers, including electric high-pressure boilers, must have two inspections: an internal inspection and an external inspection. These inspections must be conducted within the same cycle but should be performed approximately six months apart. Inspections can only be performed by an authorized insurance company. Owners must hire an authorized insurance company to perform annual high-pressure boiler inspections. 

Reporting

  • A boiler inspection report for each inspection type must be filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 14 days of performing each inspection.
  • Inspectors must notify DOB at least 10 days before performing the internal inspection. These inspection notifications must be filed in DOB NOW: Safety.
  • Reports submitted after the 14-day filing deadline, but no later than January 14 of the calendar year immediately following the inspection cycle will be considered late filings. A late-filing civil penalty of $50 per month, per boiler, per inspection type, starting on the day following the filing deadline will be imposed, up to a maximum of $600 per boiler, per inspection type.
  • Reports submitted after the late filing period will be considered expired and a failure-to-file civil penalty of $1,000 per boiler, per inspection type will be imposed.
  • If an inspection reveals any dangerous condition in a boiler that threatens life or safety and that requires an immediate shut down of the boiler, the inspector must notify DOB’s Boiler Unit of the condition by email within 24 hours after the condition is discovered.
  • If defects are found during an inspection, the defects must be corrected within 90 days of the initial inspection date. A subsequent inspection report must be filed in DOB NOW: Safety within 14 days of the subsequent inspection date. An affirmation of correction filed in DOB NOW: Safety more than 104 calendar days from the initial inspection date will be deemed expired and the report will be rejected. 
  • If the subsequent inspection report is filed after the correction due date, a failure-to-file Affirmation of Correction civil penalty of $1,000 per boiler, per inspection type, will be imposed. An additional late filing civil penalty of $50 per month, per boiler, per inspection type, starting on the day following the correction due date up to the filing date of the subsequent inspection report will also be imposed, up to a maximum of $600 per boiler.
  • An owner or licensee may request up to two 45-day extensions of the subsequent inspection filing deadline based on the criteria outlined in 1 RCNY 103-05. The extension request must be submitted online in DOB NOW: Safety no later than the current correction deadline, or it will be denied and no further extension requests will be allowed. An extension request is not considered granted until approved by DOB.
  • An owner may request a waiver of failure-to-file civil penalties by submitting a request in the Violations portal in DOB NOW: Safety. The criteria for waivers are outlined in 1 RCNY 103-05.

Registration of NEW or REPLACED Boiler (Low- & High-Pressure) 

New or replaced boilers must be inspected by the Department before use. This inspection is known as the First Test Inspection.

For questions regarding Code compliance for boiler registration, please contact the Boiler Technical Unit by phone at (212) 393-2784 or by email at boilertechnical@buildings.nyc.gov. 

Passed Inspections

Upon passing a First Test Inspection, the boiler approval and signoff are issued by the Department. It is not required to file an annual inspection report during that inspection year.

Failed Inspections

If the boiler installation is not in compliance with New York City Code, the boiler will fail the First Test Inspection. Code compliance issues must be corrected prior to requesting another First Test Inspection. Upon correction of Code compliance issues, and requesting an inspection through DOB NOW: Inspections, a Department signoff can be sought. 

Boiler Glossary 

  • Unregistered Boiler(s): Boilers (i.e. H-stamp, E-stamp, S-stamp, etc.) that require DOB Boiler Unit approval that have not passed a First Test Inspection. 
  • Registered Boiler: Boilers (i.e. H-stamp, E-stamp, S-stamp, etc.) approved by the DOB Boiler Unit under a First Test Inspection. 
  • H-Stamp: Low-pressure boilers that are designated with an H-stamp by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  
  • E-Stamp: Electric boilers that are designated with an E-stamp by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  
  • S-Stamp: High-pressure boilers that are designated with an S-stamp by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  
  • HLW-Stamp: Hot water heaters that are designated with an HLW-stamp by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). HLW-stamp hot water heaters provide domestic hot water.
    • HLW-stamp hot water heaters cannot legally be used to provide space heat for New York City buildings.  
    • HLW-stamp hot water heaters are not considered boilers.

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