GENERAL PROCEDURES Operate the plant with the  minimum  variation  in speeds, pressures, and temperatures consistent with operational commitments. A variation in the output of a single component can upset the steam cycle balance and require  adjustments  on  stations  throughout  the  plant. You can see the truth of this when you compare fuel consumption during economy trials with that during normal  operations.  Teamwork  among  watch  personnel and competition between watches can improve fuel economy and overall plant performance and reliability. The following pages contain brief descriptions of the general  procedures  common  to  most  engineering  plants. •   Follow   prescribed   acceleration   procedures. Built-in safety factors will protect the equipment if you accelerate  rapidly  only  in  emergencies,  but  routine abuse will overload the plant and reduce reliability. Correct use of the acceleration tables saves fuel and extends  machinery  life.  It  also  provides  a  time  standard the  engine-room  and  fireroom  watches  and  the  officer of the deck (OOD), can use to develop into a smoothly functioning  team. .   Combatant   ships   frequently   operate   below maximum speed, and they use only a fraction of the main turbines’ power at those speeds. Determine the most economical  speed  and  boiler  combination  for  any operating  condition  that  might  arise.  In  doing  so,  follow the  type  commander’s  directives  but  allow  for  any contingencies that may override the need for economy. . Keep accurate records of boiler feedwater and potable  water  consumption.  Determine  the  ship’s normal consumption and post it in tabular  form at main engine control, where it will serve as a ready reference. Any  unexplained  or  marked  increase  over  the  normal means a leak or faulty operation of the engineering plant, and  you  should  correct   the  problem  immediately.  You  can hold feedwater losses to a minimum if you take the following   precautions: – Be sure the engineering crew is trained in the procedures  used  to  transfer  condensate  and feedwater. – Be sure watch personnel keep a close watch on pump  shaft  glands,  valve  glands,  drain  collecting tanks, atmospheric exhaust, and all other possible sources of leakage. — Be sure operating personnel consult the watch in the   spaces   concerned   before   they   take   on make-up feed, run water down from deaerating feed tanks (DFT), or shift feedwater suctions. . Keep boilers clean, inside and out. Soot and scale are  efficient  insulators  that  prevent  optimum  heat transfer  and  require  a  progressively  increasing combusiton  rate to maintain a steady steaming rate. The engineer  officer  should  give  this  need  his  personal attention.  He  may  delegate  preliminary  inspections,  but he must make the final inspection. . The use of distillate fuel reduces the need for fireside cleaning and maintenance, and it improves reliability. If the condition of refractory at 1800 hours is satisfactory  with  little  or  no  deposit,  and  if  you  make periodic  inspections,  you  often  delay  fireside  cleaning until overhaul. . You will nearly always have clean boilers if you follow the Naval  Ships’  Technical  Manual  (NSTM) instructions  that  are  summarized  in  the  following paragraphs: — — — l Inspect  boiler  firesides  every  1800  hours  of steaming or more often if needed. Inspect and clean watersides between 1800 and 2000 hours of steaming or more often if needed. Blow tubes before entering and after leaving port, and at least once each week underway. (Always   get   the   OOD’s   permission   before blowing  tubes.) Blow down boilers as needed to maintain the specified   water   analysis   and   avoid   high concentrations of scale-forming salts. Surface blow steaming boilers as needed. After you secure a steaming boiler and allow enough  time  to  reduce  circulation  caused  by generation, give the boiler a series of bottom blows  to  remove  suspended  impurities  and scale-forming salts. Take   all   possible   measures   to   prevent   oil contamination of the feed system and boilers. Be sure   all   engineering   operating   personnel understand  the  seriousness  of  oil  contamination of  boiler  water,  its  possible  causes,  and  the consequences. Dirty atomizers, contaminated fuel, and fuel at improper  temperature  may  require  excess  air  to maintain acceptable stack conditions. You must watch the condition of the fire (it should be yellow-orange or golden yellow in shade), as well as the condition of the 4-2