What is a boiler CRN?

Boiler CRNs

Like other pressure equipment in Canada, unless exempt, boilers and boiler fittings require CRN registration before use.  The format for their CRN numbers is identical to that of presure vessels.  The allowable code of construction for boilers will be, depending on their deisgn conditions, either ASME Section I, or ASME Section IV.  Boilers are defined differently than pressure vessels, and this might be of some surprise to you.

Let's Define a Boiler What a Boiler Is

Defining a boiler is more complicated than you might think.  It goes well beyond what most people think of: a large waterwall vessel that with the direct application of flame boils water to make steam, that is commonly used to spin a turbine to generate electricity.  There are various definitions of 'boiler' that apply in different contexts, on several layers.  Each is important and warrants careful consideration when CRN registration is needed. Canada includes 13 distinct jurisdictions that govern pressure equipment in accordance with their own set of statutes and regulations.  Though the definitions they use for 'boiler' are quite similar, they differ slightly in many instances and it is important to understand the differences, particularly when interacting with the 13 different regulators.  The comparisons are interesting, and it can be seen why a boiler in one jurisdiction may not necessarily be a boiler in another.

Various Statutes and Regulations Have Different Definitions for 'Boiler'

For example:

• In British Columbia, a 'boiler' is defined by BC Regulation 104/2004, Power Engineers, Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Regrigeration Safety Regulation, as "a vessel in which, by the application of heat, (a)gas, steam or vapour is capable of being generated and pressurized, or (b)a liquid is capable of being pressurized or heated, and includes fittings and boiler external piping associated with the vessel."  In BC, a boiler is a vessel, not a pressure vessel.  Boiler external piping is considered part of the boiler in BC. If gas, steam, or vapour is generated or pressurized in a vessel with the application of heat in BC, then that vessel is a boiler.
• In Alberta, a 'boiler' is defined by Alberta Regulation 49/2006, Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation, as “a vessel in which steam or other vapour may be generated under pressure or in which a liquid may be put under pressure by the direct application of a heat source.”  There is no minimum pressure or temperature that limits the definition.  Boilers are not pressure vessels in Alberta, they are more broadly referred to as vessels.  The generation of gas in the absence of vapour or steam is not described.  Steam or vapour need not necessarily be generated for a boiler to exist in Alberta.  Vessels in which pressure is generated by the direct application of a heat source is considered to be a boiler.  And in other instances, processes which heat a fluid through indirect heat transfer can also be considered to be boilers in some instances.  For more information, see an article about waste heat boilers here. 
• In Saskatchewan, a 'boiler' is defined by the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Act of Saskatchewan, 1999, as "a vessel in which steam is or may be generated or hot water produced under pressure, and includes any high pressure boiler or low pressure boiler and any pipe, fitting, prime mover, machinery or other equipment attached to the vessel or used in connection with the vessel." In SK, the word 'boiler' includes vessels that generate steam or hot water under pressure.  Attached fittings and pipe are included with the definition of 'boiler' in Saskatchewan.
• In Manitoba, a 'boiler' is defined by the Steam and Pressure Plants Act of MB, CCSM C S210, as "a vessel in which steam may be generated or a liquid be put under pressure by heating".  Short and sweet.  There is no minimum pressure or temperature that limits the definition.  Boilers are not pressure vessels in Manitoba, they are more broadly referred to as vessels.  The generation of gas in the absence of vapour or steam is not described.  Steam or vapour need not necessarily be generated for a boiler to exist in Manitoba.  Vessels in which pressure is generated by heating is considered to be a boiler.
• Other legislation and code define 'boiler' in similar ways.  In CSA B51, the Canadian Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Pressure Piping Code, 'boiler' is defined as “as a vessel under the Act”.  By ‘Act’, CSA B51 refers to the governing statute in each provincial or territorial jurisdiction.  For all boilers registered with a CRN in Canada, in the absence of a Variance issued by the jurisdictional regulatory authority, the requirements of ASME Section I must be met in its entirety.