The correct answer is A) the water level should be initially raised above normal before giving a boiler a bottom blow. This is because when performing a bottom blow, the water level in the boiler needs to be raised above the normal operating level. This ensures that the water being expelled during the bottom blow has adequate volume and pressure to effectively remove any accumulated sediment or sludge from the bottom of the boiler. Lowering the water level below normal (option B) or increasing the steam pressure (option D) would not properly prepare the boiler for the bottom blow procedure. Cracking the air cock (option C) is not the primary step before a bottom blow.