A
boiler explosion is a
catastrophic failure of a
boiler. As seen today, boiler explosions are of two kinds. One kind is a failure of the pressure parts of the
steam and
water sides. There can be many different causes, such as failure of the
safety valve,
corrosion of critical parts of the boiler, or low water level. Corrosion along the edges of
lap joints was a common cause of early boiler explosions.