A boiler system 10 includes a boiler 12 having at least one heat exchanger 22 having a surface 48 on which a deposit 20 may form. The boiler system 10 further includes at least one retractable sootblower 16 having a lance tube 26 for carrying a high pressure fluid 24 into the boiler 12. The lance tube 26 is configured such that the high pressure fluid 24 impacts the heat exchanger surface 48 to effect a vibration in the boiler system 10. The boiler system 10 also includes at least one vibration measuring device 14 coupled to the boiler system 10. The vibration measuring device 14 is configured to measure the vibration in the boiler system 10, and the measured vibration indicates presence or absence of the deposit 20 on the heat exchanger surface 48. The vibration measuring device 14 may optionally detect a vibration caused by the release of the deposit 20 from the surface 48 of the heat exchanger 22 or the impact of the released deposit 80 with a surface in the boiler system 10.
