These systems provide power, heat, air conditioning, and refrigeration for buildings and manufacturing facilities. Depending on where they work, Stationary Engineers also service industrial machinery, hospital equipment, plumbing fixtures, elevators, and other electrical or mechanical devices used on the premises.
Engineers are responsible for the safe, efficient operation of all systems under their control.
Generally they make regular rounds of equipment areas, reading meters and gauges, listening to the machinery, and adjusting the controls as required. Periodically they perform tests and take corrective action, such as adding chemicals to the boilers to prevent corrosion and scale. In large, automated facilities, engineers in a central control room monitor conditions throughout the plant by watching video display terminals and checking computer printouts that show instrument readings from machinery in remote locations. Necessary adjustments often can be made simply by typing commands to the main computer on the computer terminal keyboard. If machinery breaks down or malfunctions occur, engineers are responsible for locating the source of trouble and making or arranging for all the necessary repairs.