Shut down for weekend

Leo_5

Given that I service oil systems most do not like to be turned off especially WM. I go along with the suggestion of turning down the limits.

Leo

Tony G

Hello,

Just an observation, but when I go away for the weekend or on a trip I shutdown my boiler and a few other items prior to leaving. When I return and fire the boiler back up, a weil Mclain 4 section, I notice smoke from the chimmeny. Once the boiler has been running and cycling the smoke stops. Is this something I need to worry about? Burner has been cleaned and serviced. Am I causing some sort of damage by turning the boiler on and off for weekends? Should I just let it run while away?

TIA

David Sutton_6

Hello Tony

Tony, is the smoke white or black?....

if white it may just be condensation dryng inside the boiler. but this not a good thing either, the condensation mixes with the by pruduct of combustion and will bubble up and harden and plug the flue ways, if you just reset your limets lower this will still keep the boiler dry, if its black smoke you need to have it looked at, ...David

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Tony G

The smoke is black, but goes away after the boiler has been running. After the initial startup all other startups are clean, no smoke. It only appears to happen after the initial turn on.

Weezbo

real quick like..

if i turn the oil burner off in the middle of a run cycle just how quick do you think the oil at 140 psi quits comming out of the gun?

Because of this minor technicality many burners have a pre and post purge.

Steamhead (in transit)

I suspect

a bad cutoff in the fuel unit that is allowing some fuel to slowly drip into the firing zone, then it produces black smoke when lit. Cure is a new fuel unit, and this is a job for a PRO.

If the burner is a flame-retention type (post the make and model of the burner and we can tell you) but does not have a delay valve (also known as pre-purge valve) that allows the motor to come up to speed before allowing oil to flow to the nozzle, I strongly recommend having one installed. Again, this is a job for a PRO.

If the burner is not a flame-retention type, you could save 10-25% on your fuel consumption by replacing it. Once again, this is a job for a PRO.

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Tony G

OK, thought about this last night. Smoke is more of a dark grey with a little black. I'm kinda thinking that it may be condensation. The burner is a flame retention and has a fuel cutoff. Boiler was installed in 1999. WM with thier burner. I beleive it's a QB180. Again, service every year and runs great. I agree with not turning of the boiler, but didn't think about turning down the limits. This may work. Any reccomendations on the limits. Maybe 120 to 140?