Steam and water equipment systems generally employ materials that readily corrode or pit when exposed to air and moisture and this is a condition often created by poor lay-up procedures. Thus without perceiving what is taking place, a user can unwittingly suffer loss of unit performance, impair serviceability, extend start-up, or cause an after start-up failure. Proper lay-up procedures can extend the useful life of a unit, reduce repair, replacement and maintenance costs and even prevent costly outages.