Weil Mclain GO-3 killing me

Big Bob_2

Rich

Send me an email about this.
cmasone@beckettcorp.com

Charlie Masone
RW Beckett

Rich Ferris

Weil Mclain GO-3 is just kicking my butt

Hey guys,

I'm hoping someone can help me end the semi annual plugged boiler issue that I'm having with a W/M GO-3 with a Beckett burner. I inherited this unit about 3 years ago after it was installed about 5 years ago by another Co. They had problems right off the bat with it prugging up. I found a high vacuum situation on the inlet from the inground 1K tank. Lines are under ground. Seems that they had a check valve on the return line that had been hooked up to the inlet side and the pump was pulling almost 20". So we switched the lines and installed a Tigar Loop. Great!!!. We set everything up to W/M D -.02/-.05, S=0-T, C02=11.5% Temp around 550 gross. 3 Months later plugged up again. Recheck everything again. Beckett AFG, Fired at .85gph 80 hollow. Pump 140 psi. Added fresh air via Fan in Can do to proximity to wall and outside. Now tonight I get a call for black smoke. Get there and again fluffy black soot. What the H???. Anyone had similar issues or I wonder if I should try a different positive pressure burnerlike Rielo. I even had another well known wet head from this sight with me one time and he too is scratching his head. Thanks for any help

Robert O'Brien

Does

it have PSC motor?

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john_83

Worst boiler

Between friends and family we have/had 5 of these clunkers.Some with Becketts some with the infamous Weil burner.All have plugged at some point even with annual cleaning by different oil techs.Here in Maine they would be known as good boat anchors!!!!!!!!!!!!

Robert O'Brien

Are

you sure those specs are correct?The Beckett OEM guide lists a .85 70 B Hago with an F-3. If this has an older AFG(without PSC,7184) this combo has been problematic. A PSC motor and pre and post purge do wonders with this boiler

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Nick L. in Vt

Go with a solid

Although we stay away from the golds, we do service alot of them. They tend to love solids and the burner set up is critical. Check that "z" dimension. Hope it helps. I've set up several that run 12-24 months fine in real bad settings(wet basements,powervents,unlined huge a$$ chimneys)

They call me "Hot Pipe"

Rich Ferris

Thank for the reply

Thanks,

To be honest. I've had the .85 70B in it before and it still did't do well. Today when I got there it had a .85 80B in it. So I put a 80A. It does not have a PSC motor as I recall. Its' just not a happy install. House was pretty tight so that's why I added the Fan in a Can. Went all Winter O.K. from Oct to May 2. I know they are very touchy and usually I have sucess in taming them. But this one I swear I tried every nozzle confuguration A-B-W and still 6-8 months later. No warning. Customer was home today when it happened. He was outside working in the yard and saw the black plume. They are friend off my In-law's so I can't just say I give up. I'm just hoping for something to just jump out and say i'm the problem.

Rich

Robert O'Brien

Why?

don't you call Beckett's tech line @ 1 800- OIL-BURN. I can tell you that there is a difference in static pressure with the PSC vs. shaded pole motor hence fewer of these problems with the newer burners.You would be doing them a favor by updating with an oil valve, PSC,7184,igniter. Short payback when you consider electrical savings and elimination of soot on starts and stops as well as much greater reliability

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EBEBRATT-Ed

Obviously with a fairly low firing rate the air damper isn't open much. It dosen't take much to restrict the air. sawdust, cat or dog hair?

11.5 co2 is great ---if it will run. Why not drop the co2 to 11.0. The efficiency will hardly change and it will give you more of a "cushion" between sooty and clean.


Ed

Glenn Sossin_2

Oil quality relevant?

What about the oil? Is it clean? I've have heard of issues with bio fuel additives and some kind of fungus plugging up the lines on Roth oil tanks. Apparently this is a potential issue on the eastern end of LI.

John@Reliable_14

Rich,

If unit has an F head it calls for a .85 70 B nozzle from Hago (Black Cap). If it has the L1 head .85 45 B from Delavan. I have serviced 100's of these with-out any real problems. The number one and two problem I find allot with fluffy soot is dryer lint blocking air intake, is their a dryer near-by? Even if vented outdoors, metal piping, lint still will get into some burners. Number two how’s the chamber? If all else fails I would derate nozzle to a .75 and see how that works.

Weezbo

similar problems...

i have seen with someone living in the boiler room/garage burning lots of candles...maybe?

missed the fan in can part of the MAU...Timing issue?

Rich Ferris

There is a dryer in the room

There is a dryer in the room and I checked the air band and very little if any lint. That's why I brought air into the mix earlier on. I'm going back there next week to tear her apart again and check the head and z-dim and put in a 85-70B again and double check pressure, vacuum readings. I did note a stronger smell to the oil as if tanted with gasoline??? I asked the Customer if he put Kerosine or anything in the pipe and he said no. But he then asked if he could put Kerosine in that he had and I told him not to put anything in the tank since we are not sure whats going on here.

Rich

Rich Ferris

Seemed to smell stronger?

It smelled stronger more like Gas today but it's in a small area and I've been doing more water related calls with no oil contact lately.

joel_19

firing

If evrything else checks out i'm a fan of the PSC motor and going smaller nozzel with pump pressure cranked to the nines something like a .65. atomizes better,seems to work well in alls sorts of scenarios.

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john_83

Put a lot of these in never have many problems but the guys at weil are great just give a call between them and beckett im sure youll get somewhere

clammy

whole house fan

Do they have a whole house fan ? i have installed many weil golds ,with few promblems ,what is you pump pressure in realation to your noz size i tend to agree with other posts smaller noz and increased pump pressure will give you better fuel atomization also chk z deminesion ,f head on such a small boiler is it a cold start ?That stack temp of 550 sounds a little hot for a clean boiler ,get a pre post relay and a oil solonoid valve and cut back on th4e co to 10.5 to 11. 11.5 seem a bit high for a gold again in the recent past i worked strickly doing weil oil boilers and like all oil fired boiler when set up correctly i rarely had to many diffuclties peace and good luck clammy

Bob Harper_2

venting?

WM Gold's are a PIA to vent. What's the current set up?

Rich Ferris

Venting

Unit is vented in close proximity to chimney. 12" up to 45 el then 4' elbow into chimney. Good draft. Chimney is about 20' straight shot down. Unfortunately I didn't install this beast and it was done half correct. It's in a small room that the door leading out is right by the burner. It has a Indirect Plus 60 on it. Cold start confuguration.

Rich

Darrell

Don't forget the obvious...is the drum of the burner blower clean? I've had the burner motor fail to turn at full RPM's intermittently as well which will soot up in a hurry. The newer Beckett's have the plastic baffle or air horn or whatever the thing is inside of the blower...the clearances are tight and it can drag on the coupler...slowing down the blower...less air and more soot. I've also had the plastic air horn thingy not pop open fully. If the burner has backed up and is not venting right the excess heat in the burner will warp the plastic thingy. (I gotta find out what it is called!).

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mark o

weil

Sounds like combustion air starving to me. had a mechanical room this year with the same! plugs up when you leave . For me it turned out to be someone moving a bunch of material in front of an air opening . I had to cut in an upper air intake . ok since.

Ed_26

Fuel

Do you have samples? Done an analysis? PITA I know, but may be necessary. (adding fuel from jugs/tidy tank etc)

Tim_41

air

I agree with mark. It sounds like there is not enough make up air coming into the cellar. I installed a crown freeport a few years ago. 2 weeks later the HO installed a door at the bulkhead. It plugged right up with the black fluffy soot.