Boiler Refractory Repair in California
Rear door, front door, burner throat, and target wall refractory repaired and replaced on firetube and firebox boilers, McKenna-built and other brands.
Code-built boilers and vessels
Code repairs and alterations
Factory-authorized Tech Center
Factory-authorized Burner Tech Center
Fifth generation, family-owned
QUICK ANSWER
McKenna Boiler Works, Inc. repairs and replaces boiler refractory across California, including rear door, front door, burner throat, and target wall refractory on firetube and firebox boilers. McKenna removes the damaged refractory, installs new castable or fiber to the boiler’s design, and cures it before the boiler goes back to full fire. McKenna builds firetube and firebox boilers, and services and repairs McKenna boilers and other brands. Family-owned since 1921. Call (323) 987-1816 or email info@mckennaboiler.com.
Why it matters
Why refractory condition matters.
Refractory keeps combustion heat where it belongs. When it cracks, spalls, or falls out, hot gas bypasses the tubes, efficiency drops, and the steel behind it overheats.
Caught early, a refractory repair is a short outage. Left alone, it can turn into a door, tubesheet, or furnace repair.
What to look for
Worn refractory versus a fresh lining.
Refractory protects the door, the rear head, and the tubesheet from direct flame. When it erodes, cracks, or spalls, heat goes straight into steel and gaskets, the boiler loses efficiency, and a simple reline can turn into a code repair. Left: an eroded rear door next to a relined one. Right: new castable cured in a rear door.
What we repair
Refractory we repair and replace.
- Rear door refractory on dryback boilers
- Front door and inner door refractory
- Burner throat and burner tile
- Target walls and baffles
- Door gaskets and seals
- Dryout and curing before full fire
Signs it’s time: cracks you can see through, missing pieces, hot spots on the door casing, or doors that won’t seal. On older boilers, refractory and door gaskets can contain asbestos. Suspect material has to be surveyed by a certified asbestos consultant and, if asbestos is present, abated by a licensed and registered asbestos abatement contractor before removal.
How a job runs
How a refractory job runs.
01
Inspect
We open the boiler and look at the refractory, doors, and seals.
02
Quote
You get a written quote to repair or replace what’s damaged.
03
Remove and install
Old refractory out, new castable or fiber installed to the boiler’s design.
04
Cure and fire
The refractory is dried out and cured before the boiler goes back to full fire.
From a recent job
A rear chamber reline and new rear door.
New refractory placed and cured in the rear chamber around the tubesheet, and a new rear door cast and rehung to seal against it. Photos from McKenna jobs.
Beyond the rear door
Burner throats and watertube furnaces.
Refractory around the burner opening and along watertube furnace walls takes the most direct flame. Throat tile, furnace walls, and tube seals should be checked on the same schedule as rear doors and rear chambers.
Why McKenna
Why plants use McKenna for refractory.
We build these boilers
We build firetube and firebox boilers, so we know how the refractory is supposed to go back in.
Other brands
Refractory repair on McKenna boilers and other brands.
Code repairs in-house
If the steel behind it is damaged, our National Board R certificate covers the repair.
One company
Refractory, retubes, burner work, and rentals during the outage.
FAQ