Ask The Engineer
Alex Garbolevsky
Senior Engineer, HSB Codes & Standards
Pressure Points Newsletter - September 2025
properties.trackTitle
properties.trackSubtitle
Question
We need to remove part of the furnace tube of a firetube boiler and replace it due to an issue with the burner. The section of furnace tube extends beyond the tubesheet by about 1 to 1.5 inches and connects to the burner. Is this a Code weld?
Answer
The question does not address whether this is a power boiler or heating boiler, so both cases will be considered.
Although the furnace tube itself is a boiler proper, pressure-retaining component, any weld connecting the burner furnace tube extending beyond the boundaries established in ASME BPVC Section I, PFT-20.3 or Section IV, HW-712, is neither load-bearing nor pressure-retaining.
- A weld between the burner and the furnace tube extending beyond the aforementioned boundaries would not be a “Code Weld.”
- If during the repair, the weld extends within aforementioned boundaries, e.g., welding is done to the outer surface of the tubesheet, that is considered welding to a pressure-retaining surface, and it would be a “Code Weld.”
As with all repairs, check with the Jurisdictional Authority at the place of installation to ensure they do not impose any special requirements.
About the author
Alex Garbolevsky, P.E. | Senior Engineer | alex_garbolevsky@hsb.com
Alex joined HSB in 1979, after serving in the U.S. Navy as a Main Propulsion Assistant. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.S. in Engineering Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Prior to his assignment to Codes & Standards in 2000, he spent 13 years in Germany and represented HSB in more than 25 countries, serving in positions ranging from Authorized Inspector to Technical Managing Director of our subsidiary, HSB International GmbH.
Alex concentrates on providing support for ASME Section V and IX, as well as for the European Union Pressure Equipment Directive “PED” (2014/68/EU) and ASME Section III. He is actively involved in inspector training within the company, as well as presenting external ASME and National Board Code-related seminars. Alex holds National Board “AI” and “IS” Commissions with “B,” “I,” “N,” “NS,” and “R” endorsements. From 1993 to 2002, he served as Chairman of ISO/TC-11 Technical Committee for Boilers and Pressure Vessels and is currently a member of ASME’s Standards Committee on Nondestructive Examination, Subgroup on International Materials Specifications, Subgroup on Volumetric Methods, Working Group Radiography, Subgroup on Surface Examination Methods, and Subgroup on Brazing. He is a Registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
