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2019 Spirit VHF-ABT oil fired furnace with Beckett AFG burner. Last year the pump went. Replaced it with new clean cut pump and it worked fine for a few months, then same problem. Limped it through and now here we are with this heating season. First fire up of the year (early Sept) and burner went into lockout because the pump was seized up. Did a service on it - filter, nozzle, electrodes, coupling, freed up the pump and cleaned exchanger. Start it up and it ran, but a fire burned in combustion chamber after shut down for almost 10 minutes. Pulled it apart, checked everything, reassembled and did same thing. Combustion analyzer said everything was in check. My buddy who’s a tech recommended just running it and burning off any residual fuel inside. It was warm so a few days went by, go to start it and pump is stuck again. Spun it free by hand, reset it, burner lit and again a big fire after shut down. After talking to Beckett tech support they assured me the oil pump failure was from sludge in tank. I removed the two pipe system that fed off the bottom of the tank and changed it to one pipe off top. I installed a Tiger loop/filter to go along with new filter in the original filter housing as extra insurance. Installed new pump, bypass plug installed, set to 120 psi my unit called for, new nozzle, bled the air, start it up and once again big fire. Over the course of a week I’ve tried many things. I adjusted the Z dimension per Beckett manual. I confirmed solenoid is shutting off fuel instantly upon shut down. I completely disassembled the furnace and removed the heat exchanger for visual inspection. Still shiny and new looking. I also burn wood so this furnace gets little use. Only burn 100 gallons or so a season. (Also probably reason sludge in tank.) I smoke tested the heat exchanger. Slowly heated it with a large weed burner torch in the dark in hopes the metal would expand and a crack would appear and then smoke tested it again. I stuffed flashlights into every opening hoping to see light. Nothing. I reassembled, blocked the air tube and tried to use the blower to get any air back through the heat exchanger out the flue. Nothing. I adjusted the barometric damper while running to try and set it at -.03. The Klein manometer I bought isn’t the best, but I definitely seem to have a positive pressure coming down the flue and also out of the inspection cover. So as it sits right now I can’t get that -.03 -.04 in the flue and when I pull the nozzle assembly out it seems to always be soaked in fuel. I also removed the nozzle adapter and installed a new one with a new, correct size nozzle, measured the distance from nozzle to head with straight edge and ruler and set to manufacture specs which I believe was 1-3/8” with the heat shield which my burner has. I also replaced the original retention head due to cracks on it. I had my chimney repointed last year and new clay flues installed. The old ones were even in height. The new ones are offset with the upstairs fire place taller than the flue for furnace in basement. Research seems to say this is normal. I’m also a sinner and have the wood stove tied into same flue as furnace. I sweep the chimney every season and haven’t had a problem since installing the furnace in 2019. I did for the first time today though have some of the smoke from furnace exiting from the door on the wood stove. So there is a definitely a draft issue as well as a combustion issue in the chamber. But why all of a sudden? Sorry so long just trying to cover all bases. I am a licensed tech, so I’m knowledgeable, but limited as I do commercial ac/refrigeration. Any ideas?

Thank you

Leaking boiler drain valves? As a band aid you can get some brass caps from your local hardware store or big box store and screw them on. Have your service provider replace them next time you have the annual maintenance performed.

I would also change how the gray expansion tank is installed. Sidewards tanks are more prone to failure. As someone who works on dozens of EK boilers I have to say that the way that one is installed is quite unusual.

Then you need a wind vane with a directional control switch. That way if the wind is blowing from the wrong direction, the burner will not be allowed to light off, until the wind changes to a more silky delicate direction.

Put a level on the pipe to verify the pitch. It looks like it is pitched properly but the ceiling could be very much not level. Also look at what is happening after it goes through the ceiling and how it gets to the radiator. Another thing to try is to take the vent out altogether and see if maybe you have a bad new vent or something. And 1 pipe valves need to be either all the way open or all the way closed, if the valve is part way open the radiator will tend to fill with condensate and not heat.

Got home from work & notice a tray under my boiler is full of water and appears to be coming out of 2 pipes, photo attached. Wondering why and if anything easy I can do to resolve?

((Yes I will probably just call Village Oil but I always come here first to see if I can save a few bucks on an easy DIY fix))