How often to clean a boiler that burns 5500 gallons of oil?

Steve Garson_2

Should a boiler that burns this much oil need to be cleaned in the middle of the heating season?

oil246gas

it depends on who cleaned it last and how its running/// i do a lot of commercial boiers that burn from 50-700 gallons a day depending on the load --they are only cleaned once a year --just before the heaing season --some of them are clean enough-to just open and inspect typically gas and #2 oil--- others need to be cleaned 2 times a year usually the heavier oil //// the filters should be changed 2 times a year //beginning of the season and the middle ----BUT it Depends on the quality of oil tank and oil lines ----///Have You Ever had the tank cleaned and oil lines flushed back??

Steve Garson_2

Thanks for your response. The tanks and lines have never been cleaned, but there is a filter both at the connection to the burner and the tank.

oil246gas

if the burner is adjusted correctly -and its cleaned correctly 1 time/season is fine --the filters IT DEpends on what you have --if they are felt type General filters they should be done 2 times/yr. -if they are fulflo filters --depending on the size they may need to be done 2 times,or 1 time/season for the larger ones--they come in 4" 6" 8" and 10" , if they are General with strainers they can be cleaned, or if they are Combu,Krassl,Hayward,Type A -they are strainers which should be cleaned accordingly -- what do you have -??-what type of boiler-water tube,sectional,pork-chop,scotch marine firetube,firebox firetube ??

Keith_8

cleaning heat exchanger

We would vac it in the fall and service the burner 3 times.

Once at the time of the vac, just after Labor day.
Once around Christmas and once at the beginning of March.

If the boiler also produces the domestic hot water we would push out the 2 follow up visits a few weeks.

You would be surprised what we find performing these periodic maintenance visits.

As a result I'm happy to say that our off hours calls are few and far between.

Keith